IF you see another thousand fights, you may never witness a recovery as extraordinary as Juan Manuel Marquez’s against Manny Pacquiao on this day (May 8) at MGM’s Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas back in 2004.
In the first fight of their bitterly contested rivalry, Marquez (then WBA and IBF featherweight champion) fought back remarkably against a renowned finisher in Pacquiao to earn a draw after 12 spirited and wildly exciting rounds.
Not only did Marquez survive that hellish opening three minutes, but it looked to many as if he’d won the fight.
Watching two men of such high standard battle with such heart and soul only for there to be no winner can leave one feeling a little empty, as though all the effort and pain was for nothing.
But on reflection it was probably a fair and profitable result.
