OLD TACTIC NEVER EFFECTIVE
Juan Manuel Marquez knows exactly how he could beat Manny Pacquiao this time: by a knockout!
Although he admitted that such has been his camp’s plan since, Marquez told The Daily Tribune yesterday that sending Pacquiao to the canvas was never the main focus of their strategy.
Until recently.
“The plan was to outscore him. We wanted to beat him intelligently by points,” the Mexican disclosed. “That’s why I was counterpunching all the time, waiting for the perfect timing to land my punches.”
That tactic, he confessed, was never effective. This time, everything will change.
“No one will ever forget November 12, 2011,” Marquez declared, referring to their third meeting in Las Vegas.
“Everyone who saw that fight knew I won, but judges liked Pacquiao over me.”
The Pacquiao-Marquez saga is an interesting subject that will go down in the history as one of the most controversial encounters that happened in boxing.
Marquez, fighting for the second time in 2012, owns a 0-2-1 (win-loss-draw) record against Pacquiao in their previous 3 fights spanning in the last 8 years.
In their last face-off, Pacquiao edged out Marquez anew in another controversial outcome.
Fighting less aggressively and taking more shots than ever before, Pacquiao failed to convince boxing fans of a clear victory over his Mexican rival.
In fact, Pacquiao seemed surprised when Michael Buffer announced the final verdict.
Judge Robert Hoyle scored it a draw, 114-114. But judges Dave Moretti and Glenn Trowbridge had it 115-113 and 116-112, respectively.
Marquez admitted his camp struggled hard in convincing him to fight Pacquiao again.
“I’ve said it many times that if the bout will take place in Las Vegas, I would rather waste my time training young fighters in the gym.”
But a fresh advice persuaded Marquez to give the offer a second look.
“This time, I will bring the pressure to him. I’ll be aggressive.”
“He’s very strong, but I’ll try to knock him out.”
“I have been working very hard on my strength and I think I have what I need to knock him out. I don’t want to give the judges to change the outcome of the fight with their decisions.”
Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KO) takes on Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KO) for the second time in a year on December 8 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
The Mexican has lost just three times in the last six years, twice to Pacquiao and once to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, is climbing into the ring without any title after losing to Timothy Bradley Jr. last June via majority decision in yet another controversial fight that can only happen in Las Vegas.
