I have watched all of the Marquez-Pacquiao fights and re-played them many times over, just like I often do with other great boxing rivalries. I am also a part-time boxing journalist. For the casual fan who has not watched these fights or followed Marquez's career closely, that KO punch would seem like legit. The same could be said about the the single winging punch that put down Pacquiao in the 3rd round. However, the boxing afficionado or even expert that has followed Pacman's career including the 3 previous fights with Marquez would tell you that Marquez had hit Pacquiao MORE THAN A HUNDRED times before with bad intentions using the same right hand and Pacquiao DID NOT GO DOWN. In the other two fights with world-class fighters, the much bigger Margarito (17 pounds heavier than Pacquiao at fight night)) and Cotto, too, could not put him down even though they connected many times squarely on his facial parts and torso. Suddenly, here is a new Marquez putting down Pacquiao twice with a SINGLE punch each time. He never put down anybody else with a single punch in his entire career . His KOs always came with combination or accumulation of power shots landing on an opponent. During the post-fight celebration, Marquez's coach Nacho Beristain was quoted that he never thought Marquez could KO Pacquiao with a single punch. He said that if it should happen, it would come with 1-2-3 combinations. All of these leave a lot of questions and doubts regarding the authenticity of Marquez's newly found physique and lethal power. Anyone at 39 like Marquez is, will be hard-pressed to bulk up like he did in a year's time without the use of illegal substances.
Also, the presence of Heredia - a PEDs expert and enjoying a Federal witness protection - as Marquez's physical trainer, highly suggests foul play. I have a theory. Pacquiao may have been "sacrificed" in order for the authorities to move in with greater resolve and power to regulate sports, especially boxing where an athlete's life is put directly on line in a match. The last one who got "sacrificed" might have been Lance Armstrong. Since Pacquiao has a greater global prominence than Armstrong , what would happen to him, as it did, would strike a greater impact on our senses and those of legal bodies.
What is really sad is that Marquez could have defeated Pacquiao by points without a controversy. The judges would have had to do their darndest best while placed in such a bind to exercise fair officiating as a result of the controversies that marred the first 3 fights. And a 12-round classic - one for the ages - would have come into fruition. A KO was not necessary to punctuate the 4th fight and the rivalry.
Things like these have a way of unraveling - in the near or distant future. For example, many of Armstrong's close buddies and teammates finally snitched out on him to the investigators and then the Armstrong facade came crashing down. It is possible that people in the Marquez camp will someday lay bare the truth about this matter. It could come from the coach himself in private conversations with friends and associates or a disgruntled team member might do it.
Also a possibility is that the Nevada Boxing Commission may find something illegal in Marquez's urine sample but may suppress the discovery because Bob Arum is a towering powerful figure in boxing and in the State of Nevada. He will not do anything to stop a 5th fight between these two. He also succeeded in preventing a much bigger fight between Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather, which many people in the boxing community believes he is trying to thwart. That includes members of the Mayweather camp.
I am also highly suspicious about what Arum had said before the fight that he did not think the fight would reach the 7th round. He was so eerily accurate. Also, the cryptic remark that Romney exclaimed to Pacman when he visited Pacquiao just before the fight: " I ran for president and LOST". Was that a jinx or a coded message telling Pacquiao and (high-roll gamblers?) that he was definitely going to lose this fight? Maybe, what may have stunned the senator was the shocking way the loss actually happened to Pacquiao. I , too, like every one else was terribly shocked. I truly expected a magical fight ending in a clear unanimous decision for either one of them. But sadly it did not. If Marquez would be found out later on, I would be very disappointed at how it would put a permanent disgraceful mark on his great career. He may be banished from boxing and Mexico might vomit him out. That would be sad.These big doubts I have in my mind regarding the involvement of super drugs in this 4th fight - and quite possibly the 3rd fight as well - do not inspire me to want to watch boxing again until it is cleaned up.
