Sunday, November 20, 2011

Pacquiao Wins, Statistics Show


The three referees in the Pacquiao-Marquez boxing trilogy held on Sunday, November 13, MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas, Nevada decided the game for Manny Pacquiao. A referee scored it 114 - 114, the second had it 114 – 115, and the third got it 113 -116 for the Filipino champion, Manny Pacquiao.


However, it was a questionable decision and several boxing experts said, "Either it is Marquez or a draw."


According to Recah Trinidad, "Marquez won, I don’t care if they get angry with me."
Chris Mannix, a Sports Illustrated staff writer on boxing and basketball, said, "It was a highway robbery." He scored the fight 116 - 112 for Marquez. Mannix gave six rounds to Marquez, four to Pacquiao, and the rest, even.


Kevin Lole who writes boxing for Yahoo believes the fight was a draw, and ESPN boxing writer and sports commentator, Dan Rafael, agreed with Kevin. Another ESPN sports writer Chris Brousard believed it was a great fight but he judged it a draw or a stand-off for Marquez.


But those who went against the verdict are not the judges who were the nearest men to the ring and professional people of the game. Those who were against the judgement are mere spectators, lovers of boxing who believed themselves, who thought they were better than anybody else to judge the winner or loser of a boxing bout.


But statistics do not lie. The stats and records affirm Pacquiao won over Marquez. Are they similar to some Filipino politicians who after each election day feel cheated after their defeat?


In their first two encounters, Pacquiao has a one point edge over Marquez (679 - 678), in the scores of six judges. In their first fight, it was a draw according to the three judges who were: (1) Burt Clements – 113-113; (2) Guy Jutras – 115-110 for Marquez; and (3) John Stewart- 115-110 for Pacquiao.


Pacquiao won in their second fight. Here are the scores: (1) Tom Miller scored 114-113 for Pacquiao; (2) Duane Ford – 115-112 for Pacquiao; and (3) Jerry Roth – 115-112 for Marquez.


In their November 13 last and third fight, Marquez lost by seven points. Here are the score cards: (1) Dave Moretti - 115 -113 for Pacquiao; (2) Glenn Trowbridge -116-112 for Pacquiao; and (3) Robert Hoyule -114 all.


For both Marquez and Pacquiao fans who doubt the judgement of the judges, another statistics as recorded by the computers, will show Pacquiao won over Marquez.


The computer stats show Pacquiao threw 578 punches, 176 of which landed on several parts of Marquez’s body. Compared to 436 punches Marquez threw, 138 of which hit Pacquiao. On the average, Pacquiao hit Marquez 14 times per round to Marquez’s 11.


These above statistics are enough data to base the conclusion that Pacquiao is the winner of the fight and Marquez must gracefully accept his defeat.


He was not robbed of his victory. Can a person or group of persons steal something that did not exist?


According to Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, the last two rounds saved Manny Pacquiao from what could have been the biggest defeat in Pacquiao’s career. "Roach believed Pacquiao won the eleventh and twelfth rounds, the last two. If not, it could have meant defeat." If Pacquiao failed in the 11th and 12th rounds, it could have been a draw or even Pacquiao’s defeat.


Buboy Fernandez, Pacquiao’s second trainer, believed cramps and stress limited Pacquiao’s movement. He was not in his usual self. Fernandez with Jinkee, Pacquiao’s beloved wife, do not favour a fourth encounter with Marquez even if promoter Bob Arum announced after the fight the fourth between Pacquiao and Marquez might take place in May 2012. Moreover, his trainer, Freddie Roach, favours Pacquiao fights again Juan Manuel Marquez before facing Floyd Mayweather. Roach believed Marquez has given them problems, that he deserves a rematch which will be the fourth fight. "The last fight did nothing to halt Marquez’s claims of being the better fighter than Pacquiao," Roach pointed out.


The Twitter postings which Roach believes came from Twitter bulls with Spanish surnames agreed with Marquez that he have been "robbed" of victory.


Do you believe Pacquiao stole Marquez’s victory? What can one steal if the thing supposed to have been stolen did not exist? To fight Marquez for the fourth time is to agree Marquez was really robbed of his victory. Pacquiao must not face Marquez again as his victory is clearly supported by statistics and the judges’ decision which is final./MP

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