Tatay's thoughts on Pac-Mar III


My father is no boxing analyst or a sports expert but he believes Manny Pacquiao won the fight fair and square.

As the challenger, my Tatay said, Juan Manuel Marquez could have at least knocked out Pacquiao.

For my father, a former varsity basketball player at the Araullo Lyceum in Cabanatuan City and a longtime sports fan, a knockdown could have convinced the three judges to award the win to Marquez.

A knockout could have erased the controversy that hounded their two previous fights and could have affirmed Marquez's claims that he defeated Pacquiao twice.

He said the "unofficial" rule has been that way ever since he watched great boxing matches involving the likes of Leonard, Hearns, Hagler, Frazier, Ali, Foreman, Duran, Robinson, and Liston.

Tatay, who will turn 66 on November 28, is no Quinito Henson or Joe Cantada. He stands by the three judges' decision, Pacquiao won on points.

In his own words: Mas nakita ng tatlong judges ang laban kasi nasa ringside sila. Yung ibang nagrereklamo sa wide screen lang nakapanood. Sino paniniwalaan mo?

He added that fight fans are dissatisfied with the eight-division world champion's win because they are expecting a knockout victory. Or at least Pacquiao could have floored Marquez down just like in their two previous encounters.

Tatay said you cannot please everyone and he believes the Pacquiao-Marquez epic trilogy is going to be a subject of future debates until both fighters are inducted into the Boxing Hall of Fame. And Marquez will forever be Pacquiao's, Joe Frazier.

(The photo was taken during our family's Christmas celebration in 2009. My father was holding my youngest, Nathan, who is then nine months old.)

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