We will also bring you live coverage of Timothy Bradley’s Top Rank debut, as he faces veteran light welterweight campaigning Joe Casamayor. We will also bring you all the news of the other two televised fights, with Mike Alvarado taking on Brendis Prescott and Luis Cruz vs Juan Carlos Bruga rounding off the card.
While Inside Fights was watching Junior Dos Santos blitz Cain Velasquez in just over a minute, Juan Carlos Burgos defeated Luis Cruz in a ten-round super-featherweight bout. The fight went the distance with scores of 98-92, 97-93 and 95-95 giving Brugos the majority decision win.
Light Welterweight bout: Mike Alvarado vs. Brendis Prescott
We’re now watching Brendis Prescott taking on Top Rank mainstay Mike Alvarado. The well-traveled Prescott lost his debut at 140Ibs to Paul McCloskey back in September and is now trying to restore the momentum he had when he entered Northern Ireland, momentum that he hoped would earn him a world championship rematch with Amir Khan. Prescott made a good start to the fight, using his height and reach to fight at range behind the jab well. Alvarado came inside every now again but Prescott’s workrate is gave the Colombian the edge in the early rounds. Prescott stepped it up a level in the fourth round, opening up a bad cut above Alvarado’s left eye after hurting him with several nasty uppercuts at the beginning of the round. Bloody and battered Alvarado seemed on the brink of being finished but managed to ride the storm and actually mounted some offense towards the end of the round. Alvarado sufficiently recovered from the beating Prescott dished out on him to be competitive in the middle rounds, but the Colombian continue to have the edge over his opponent due to his effective use of the jab. Prescott was shameless in targeting the cut above Alvarado’s eye, with some cute work inside in the sixth round. At the seventh round, Inside Fights had it as a shut out for Prescott 70-63. He was better in the eighth and ninth rounds where Prescott neglected to focus on the jab that had proven so effective throughout the rest of the fight. In the eighth he probably took the round with a hard right hand. It set the stage for a determined rear guard action from Alvarado who capitalized on the growing defensiveness of Prescott to connect with several hard left hands at the start of the round. He drops Prescott with several short uppercuts. Prescott is badly hurt. Alvarado is all over Prescott. The Colombian cannot get Alvarado off him, and Prescott is being killed with uppercuts. The referee sees enough at 1.53 to waive the fight off and give Mike Alvarado an improbable victory. No idea how Prescott threw that away.
Light Welterweight Championship bout: Timothy Bradley vs. Joel Casamayor
Timothy Bradley’s Top Rank debut is up next, with Desert Storm finally stepping in the ring again after a prolonged absence following his victory over Devon Alexander in January due to a dispute with his previous promoter Gary Shaw. He steps into the ring with cagey veteran Joel Casamayor. Bradley started the fight more aggressive than usual, fighting on the front foot and looking to connect with power punches. But the wily Casamayor looked to stifle, always grabbing hold of the younger man when the chance was provided. In the third Bradley rocks Casamayor with a right but can’t put together the sustained offense to make the most of the opening. However Casamayor is not offering a lot of offense with the fight being all Bradley in this first quarter of the fight. The fans were not happy with the fight at this point. Casamayor repeatedly leading with the head in the clinch and in the fourth is docked a point by the referee. In the fifth Bradley dropped Casamayor with a body punch. Casamayor looking really tired at the end of the round after being trapped in the corner by Bradley for a sustained period. At the start of the sixth Bradley dropped Casamayor with a left, although Casamayor protested that it was a slip. Casamayor’s challenge came to an end after being subjected to a sustained period of pressure by Timothy Bradley, with the champion particularly hurting the veteran with nasty short uppercuts. Bradley felled Casamayor with a left hook to the body with the forty-year old being forced to drop to one knee. The end of the round would have allowed Casamayor to beat the bell but the corner threw the towel in at 2minutes and 59seconds. Not a good fight by any means, with Bradley not impressing against a significantly faded Casamayor.
Welterweight Championship bout: Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Márquez
It is fight time for our main event. Technically it is for the WBO Welterweight Title but in reality it is like all great trilogy fights fought for the championship of each other. This should be great.
Round One
Marquez looks a lot bigger than when he fought Mayweather. The strength and conditioning obviously worked better this time around. They’re feeling each other out in this first round with Pacquiao proving patient and Marquez relax. Didn’t to separate them as they circle and threaten each other. Pacquiao probably land the more hurtful blows but could be given either way. 10-9 Pacquiao
Round Two
Very tactical round with Marquez trying to counter Pacquiao’s flurries and keep the champion off-balance. Both showing tremendous respect for each other’s power, not willing to step inside the pocket for two long. Marquez doing well to move away and avoid taking significant damage when Marquz comes forward. Marquez connecting with the jab, and bringing the right hand in. Towards the end he starts letting the hands go with some nice uppercuts and a big right hand. Pacquiao tries to become more aggressive but gets clipped by a big right hand at the very end. Marquez’s round. 19-19.
Round Three
Pacquiao flicks the jab out to begin with, moving in with an unsuccesful flurry. Marquez lands an uppercut as Pacquiao comes in. Pacquiao is perhaps guilty of trying to force the fight, which leaves him open to Marquez’s superb timing. Marquez putting together a good combination, twice combining a body hook with a straight right. Marquez is doing a great job of stepping back and making Pacquiao miss. Pacquiao lands a couple of right hands towards the end of the round but Marquez is able to counter. Very tactical fight and you have to think that favours Marquez 29-28
Round Four
Marquez flicking out the jab at the start of the fourth but Pacquiao comes in with some hard fast punches. Pacquiao looks like he’s moving up through the gears. Marquez misses with a couple of darting punches from distance. Pacquiao is throwing more than in the previous round but he’s not landing much at all due to the superior footwork of Marquez. The Mexican is doing well to counter the bull-rushes of Pacquiao. This is superb boxing from Marquez. Marquez puts together a flurry towards the end that ends with a right hand that rocks Pacquiao. The upset may be on the cards here. 39-37
Round Five
Pacquiao starts by flicking out the jab but their landing on the gloves. Marquez responds with some great shots to the body. On the British commentary Amir Khan rightly says that Marquez is doing a great job keeping the distance. He snaps Pacquiao’s head back with a straight punch. Marquez is just making the key movements to make Pacquiao miss. Again he connects with the jab and then ducks under a wild punch from Pacquiao. They both land at the same time. Pacquiao triyng to be more aggressive but Marquez is standing up to the champion well. Marquez again closes the round with a nice combination. Pacquiao is looking one step and one punch behind Marquez at the moment. 49-46
Round Six
Marquez defense has been iron-clad in this fight, with his guard up tight and his footwork being just perfect. After getting some straight rights in, Marquez spends most of the round working the body of Pacquiao. Midway through they both connect as Pacquiao comes back strong. The champion is having his best round of the fight so far. He’s pushing Marquez back, and landing the right hand more. However too often Pacquiao throws wildly and misses, whereas the tight work of Marquez is getting through albeit in a less eye-pleasing way. Very close round but I’m leaning to Marquez who had the more consistent offense throughout the round. 59-55
Round Seven
This has been a very close, tactical fight so far and that and the slower than expected pace surely benefits Marquez over Pacquiao. The champion starts brightly but is then caught hard by a straight right of Marquez. Pacquiao ineffectively comes rushes in, opening himself to some wonderful counterpunching of Marquez. Pacquiao is looking for powerpunches rather than setting up up with body punches or jabs. Pacquiao seemingly hurts Marquez with a left hand but Marquez comes back with some very good combinations. Marquez ends the round with an uppercut. Another round for Marquez on my scorecard. Again its close but Marquez is edging it consistently. 69-64
Round Eight
Cagey opening to the round with nothing of note thrown in the first minute. Pacquiao rushes inside but he’s once again head hunting, not working the body at all. Marquez counters well, and its yet another exchange where the Mexican warrior outsmarts and outsrikes his Philippine adversary. Marquez again lands a smart right hand, he really is boxing beautifully. Pacquiao is just rushing onto Marquez’s counters. Pacquiao lands a big one-two to end the round but even then Marquez counters. 79-73.
Round Nine
Marquez lands another right hand at the start of the round. Pacquiao rushes in and misses, rushing into the ropes. Marquez countering well. Pacquiao is looking very confused, just throwing wildly and missing by miles. Marquez is keeping his cool, working the body of Pacquiao and outworking the champion. Towards the end they get into some excellent dog-fights towards the end of the fight, with Pacquiao finding the fire to really put Marquez under pressure. While Pacquiao’s aggression looked very impressive he didn’t actually land most of his punches so I give the round to Marquez. 89-82
Round Ten
Pacquiao looking a lot better than in the previous rounds, putting Marquez under real pressure. Pacquiao finally starts working the body, forcing Marquez to take a knee after landing a crunching body hook. It is however ruled a slip by the referee. Not sure I agree with that. Pacquiao strangely doesn’t continue to target the obvious chink in Marquez’s amour and instead resumes headhunting. He does however manage to dictate the speed of the fight, with the tempo of the round being far faster than the earlier rounds. Pacquiao rounds. 98-92
Round Eleven
Given American judges preference for aggression over smart countering may mean that the scores at ringside are closer than man but Pacquiao certainly needs to put in a big two rounds to secure victory. Pacquiao really turning it up now with the champion unleashing ferocious flurries on his rival. However again Marquez is able to counter, landing beautifully clean punches while moving away from the danger. The pace drops down in the final minute with Marquez effectively countering Pacquiao’s increasingly wild lunges. To me that’s another Marquez round. I know this sounds silly but I genuinely have it 108-101 to Marquez. I am not joking nor have I been given a bribe by Marquez’s management team and family.
Round Twelve
On my scorecard if Marquez can make it to the end of this round then he’s got the victory he so desired. Incredibly Marquez is the one on the offense, with Pacquiao unable to put together the offense and blast out Marquez as he needs to. Marquez is fighting tidy, not offering Pacquiao any opportunities for the crunching knockout blow he needs. With thirty seconds left they break to put Pacquiao gumshield back in. Right to the end Marquez is the one landing first, superb performance. Incredible. An absolute clinic from Marquez on my scorecard. I have it 118-110 to Marquez. Even Pacquiao’s training partner Amir Khan has Marquez as the victor.
The judges have it 114-114 and 115-113, 116-112 to the winner and still world champion Manny Pacquiao. Completely disagree with that decision. I am aware there were a lot of close rounds and so my 118-110 may have been lopsided but Marquez put on an absolute clinic tonight. The Vegas fans let Pacquiao know what they think about the decision, booing Pacquiao and chanting Marquez. A disgusting call.
Results
Manny Pacquiao defeated Juan Manuel Marquez via majority decision 114-114, 115-113 and 116-112 to retain his WBO Welterweight Title
Light Welterweight Championship bout: Timothy Bradley defeated Joel Casamayor via corner stoppage at two minutes and fifty-nine seconds.
Light Welterweight bout: Mike Alvarado defeated Brendis Prescott via TKO at 1.53 in the tenth round
Super Featherweight bout: Juan Carlos Burgos defeated Luis Cruz via majority decision
