Bad Left Hook Fight Night: Juan Manuel Marquez v. Manny Pacquiao II

Tyson looks like the better fighter through two of the six rounds. Herrera is a Nacho Beristain guy.

Third round looks better for Herrera. Doug Fischer and whoever is doing PBP both think Tyson looks tired already. I agree.

I love empty arena fights.

My opinion has changed. Herrera is much better.

Majority draw.

Featherweights

Nice left hook to end it. Garcia is 4-0 and has yet to go past the second round.

And it doesn't hurt that the preview show keeps repeating that great Lampley line at the end of the first fight's first round: "Manny Pacquiao is a storm!"

Montano pops away with a four-punch combo, most of it blocked, but the last shot landed to the body. Diaz looks like the slower puncher so far, but he might just not be loosened up yet. Montano keeps sticking in some really nice counter shots.

Diaz with two short little uppercuts in a clinch, but Montano keeps beating Diaz to the punch, and he's winning this round. If he had any power, he'd REALLY be winning the round.

There's a nice right hook from Diaz. Fine opening round to start the night proper.

Montano 10-9

Montano comes out throwing. He's getting an opportunity tonight and doing his damnedest to take advantage of it, as he very well should. He doesn't know he's only supposed to lose, apparently.

Diaz eats another quick left, kind of an awkward punch -- sort of looping, but didn't loop.

There's that right hook again. They're really winging some leather and making a fight of this.

Diaz occasionally lands first, and Montano is hitting him back every time. How do you score power when Diaz is so clearly being hit more?

Diaz catches him a little bit with a right hand to the forehead. Right lands again for Diaz at the tail of a three-punch combo. Montano is landing more, but Diaz IS landing the better shots. That's going to make a difference. Montano can be tough, but he's already eaten a few square shots, and he's going to wear down some over the next eight rounds. It's science.

Diaz 10-9
19-19

Diaz really is better than you might notice at first on the defensive side. The first half of this round has really shown that. They are throwing a lot of punches, not a lot is really landing hard, but this is an enjoyable PPV opener.

Accidental headbutt, no real stop.

Nice left uppercut from Diaz, then a left down the pipe lands, too. He's starting to bust Montano up a little bit. Good right from Montano before the bell.

Diaz 10-9
Diaz 29-28

Nice 1-2 from Diaz, ended with a hard right hook. Montano with a left hook, and his punches just have nothing on them right now.

Merchant: "It's a little odd, having a guy who holds a lightweight title, fighting the first fight."
Lampley: "Yes. Setting the stage for Abner Mares?"

Mares is a good fighter, but Lampley's delivery there was really funny.

Diaz 10-9
Diaz 39-37

Nice stiff jab from Diaz knocks Montano back. Montano is trying to fight more from a distance this round, which is probably a really good idea. He cannot beat Diaz on the inside.

Montano badly misses a lunging left hook. Slower round than the first four. Two hard shots from Diaz, then a hard right uppercut. Diaz is really starting to score with big shots now. Good shots to the body, then a straight left from Diaz.

Montano is kind of a neat fighter. A niche fighter, if you will. I'm really liking him, in the way that you really like someone that isn't ever going to be a world title guy or close to it. You know, how some people go apeshit for Darnell Wilson.

Diaz 10-9
Diaz 49-46

Hurrld has the same score.

Lead right from Montano. He's backpedaling a lot more now, and he's got himself against the ropes. I don't think that's what he wants. But he fights out.

And goes to the other side of the ring to stand by the ropes. Good job!

Diaz is trying to work the uppercuts more, when really he could win this fight with just about anything. Diaz sticks him a few times against the ropes, though Montano, God bless him, is still trying to fight.

Right back to the ropes. Diaz continues to rock Montano's head back repeatedly, but Montano doesn't seem terribly hurt by anything. He's a tough young man, give him that.

This is pretty much a formality. If I were David Diaz, though, I'd be really trying to do something sensational. It'd be easier to sell Diaz-Pacquiao, potentially, if Pacquiao wasn't fighting a guy who just went 10 rounds with a nobody like Roman Montano.

Diaz 10-9
Diaz 59-55

And this is another routine round where Diaz does score enough good shots to win, but isn't at all overwhelming a guy that, on paper, the WBC lightweight champion should have spanked by now.

They might want to consider putting Diaz-Pacquiao, if it happens, on regular old HBO.

Pretty good round, both guys landed some good shots. Actually, I thought Montano won that one.

Montano 10-9
Diaz 68-65

Blah blah from Diaz, blah blah from Diaz. Montano wings his hands around, lands little, and when he does he might as well be tickling Diaz.

Montano is not a bad fighter, and this is not a bad fight. But it's just so academic. And Diaz not being able to really hurt Montano to a major degree is pretty damning for trying to sell him as a big-time main event fighter.

Diaz 10-9
Diaz 78-74

There's a big hard left hand from Diaz, and a right comes on its heels. That took about two minutes of routine round-winning from Diaz for us to get to that point. Diaz really does kind of NEED a knockout. He wins either way, but jeez. Let it roll, you're not going to get knocked out by this guy.

Diaz 10-9
Diaz 88-83

Larry says it's only pride keeping Montano up at this point. I think it's pride and the fact that Diaz isn't anything special. At all. Like Kevin said, a prime Morales would've smoked Diaz. Diaz is top 10 in the division, but this fight is not scoring points in his favor if you ask me.

Someone has got to get Larry's mic away from his nose. He's breathing pretty heavy.

Montano's mouthpiece gets knocked out, and then his wrist tape dies.

Joe Cortez gets a HUGE ovation for grabbing Montano's wrist tape and ripping it off without stopping the fight. He waits for a clinch to give him the mouthpiece back. Goddamn, that is some slick shit from Joe. Wonderful stuff.

Diaz 10-9
Diaz 98-92

Robert Hoyle: 97-93
Dave Moretti: 99-91
Glenn Trowbridge: 95-95

DAVID DIAZ VIA MAJORITY DECISION

I have no clue how Trowbridge scored it 95-95.

Lampley: "Hm."
Steward: "Hoooo."

Gabi came in at 119 1/2...and he's 135 tonight. That's a red flag. A Paul Williams red flag.

Hooks come from both sides, and Gabi looks like he really felt like that one. Gabi is pressing so far, and he really wants to make this a fight. That's not so much Mares' style.

Left stuck in from Gabi.

This is a really sloppy, awkward fight so far.

BIG right from Mares, and Gabi staggers to the ropes. 35 seconds left in the round. Big right lands again, and Gabi is just trying to stay away now. This all happened just as Jim was going to launch into a tirade about Sultan Ibragimov, it seemed.

Mares 10-9 -- kind of stole it

This is ugly. Gabi is not in shape, and not mentally there.

Mares is now unloading on him with hard shots. Gabi goes down again.

Jay Nady stops it. Gabi really had no business being in there gaining 16 pounds overnight. That's not good for anyone.

ABNER MARES TKO-2

HUGE left hand from Luevano stuns Jandaeng. Hard right to the body from Jandaeng as he recovers well from the big shot. Actually, I don't know why Luevano didn't follow up on that left hand. He could've possibly closed the show.

Jandaeng is eating jabs with his hands really low, looking to fly in and land a big shot. Jandaeng is boxing like a predator so far -- Luevano is countering by staying back, avoiding the charges, and popping Jandaeng with nice counter shots.

If Jandaeng lands on one of those charges, though, it could get really interesting.

Luevano 10-9

Jandaeng is now starting to land a few shots, and Luevano doesn't look like he wants anything to do with THAT. There was one point where Luevano actually sort of tried to slap him away.

There's a cut over Jandaeng's right eye.

Tough round to score, I thought.

Luevano 10-9
Luevano 20-18

Luevano is now just peppering him with the jab, and that's about the only punch he's throwing. I don't know why people are so excited to see Luevano fight Robert Guerrero. Luevano is fairly dull. Good fighter, but hardly exciting. He seems to fear Jandaeng's power more than he did that of Antonio Davis, which means I doubt we're going to see any knockdowns. Luevano is a much better technical boxer than Jandaeng, and that adds  up to this being, you know, boring.

Which it has been so far, to be honest.

Wow, Lampley talking about Vazquez-Marquez III (they have highlights) and he actually went ahead and said "Showtime." That's fairly rare.

Luevano 10-9
Luevano 30-27

The boo birds are coming out in a small portion of the arena. This is clinical stuff so far from Luevano. He's jabbing his way to victory.

Now don't get me wrong, this isn't anywhere near as horrific as Wlad Klitschko jabbing his way to victory over Ibragimov.

JANDAENG SLAMS LUEVANO WITH A LEFT HAND, AND DOWN GOES LUEVANO

Up at 8, and he'll fight on.

HARD left from Jandaeng. He's throwing hard, knowing now that he can definitely hurt Luevano. Two BIG shots from Jandaeng. All of a sudden, this has become a fight.

Down goes Jandaeng on -- OK, it was a slip. It looked questionable.

Jandaeng 10-9 -- I know he got a knockdown, but Luevano totally owned the round otherwise
Luevano 39-37

Now they're starting to slug, and Lampley's right on when he says that is not what Luevano wants. He was, in fact, instructed to "not take any chances." Merchant comically poked fun at that.

Nice right hook from Luevano. Jandaeng has some good (well, bad) swelling around his eyes.

And now we're back to Luevano's routine outboxing of Jandaeng. Really good bounce-back round (well, sort of) from Luevano.

Luevano 10-9
Luevano 49-46

...I won't go on.

Merchant just called this "a very good fight" -- I can't say as though I'd go that far.

Luevano is continuing to win in this round, and Lampley and Merchant get in some more digs on Sultan Ibragimov without naming him. Jim: "The way he fought, he doesn't deserve to have his name mentioned."

This was a pretty damned dull round. Luevano at a distance can't be beaten by Jandaeng, and that is now very, very clear.

Luevano 10-9
Luevano 59-55

Luevano 10-9
Luevano 69-64

LOW BLOW from Jandaeng. That was a cracker.

Wow, that was some kind of low. That was tremendously low. Outstanding.

Luevano is taking his time considering his nuts. And now he's ready to go back to work.

I like how some people that speak English really do seem to think that saying things slower and with emphasis is going to make a non-English speaking guy like Jandaeng understand. "No push! No push! No wrestle! No wrestle!"

Luevano 10-9
Luevano 79-73

For someone not intent on scoring or anything like that, this is the type of fight where you make something to eat and, oh, KIND OF pay attention.

Not that he's not still dangerous, but he's tired and his face hurts.

That said, give Jandaeng all credit for not giving up. He still has plenty of spirit. I might have tried to do ANYTHING ELSE by now were I Terdsak, but I am not Terdsak.

Lampley digs in on Dick Flaherty for scoring Taylor-Spinks for Spinks. Lampley on that card as it happened was hilarious.

Another fairly typical round.

Luevano 10-9
Luevano 89-92

Oh Jesus, now Lampley is bringing up kickboxing again to Merchant.

The two minutes that have gone by are pretty much the same as the rest of the fight. Luevano is just a lot better than Jandaeng.

This looks no different than Luevano-Davis, really, except that Luevano is more fearful of Terdsak's power.

Luevano 10-9
Luevano 99-91

Uh oh!

UH OH!

Jandaeng pops him, and Luevano starts trying to fix his mouthpiece while running away. Momentary excitement, amounting to nothing. It looked like Luevano caught his own dislodged mouthpiece there.

Luevano 10-9
Luevano 109-100

Hurrld gave that one to Jandaeng.

Luevano is now just making the rounds all the way around the ring, staying away and not engaging at all. He'll throw a jab out now and again to keep Jandaeng honest, but that's about it. Jandaeng is physically spent, totally beaten, and has no answers.

There's a STIFF left hand from Jandaeng, but Luevano survives. As Lampley notes, Terdsak does not have the balance to follow up on big shots.

And Luevano gets on his horse for the last minute or so, not winning any fans, but winning the fight.

Jandaeng 10-9
Luevano 118-110

Dick Flaherty: 118-109
C.J. Ross: 119-109
Paul Smith: 119-109

STEVEN LUEVANO VIA UNANIMOUS DECISION

No surprises. Luevano really didn't win any fans it doesn't appear, but it's a crowd full of people that came out to see a FIGHT in the main event, and that's just not Luevano's style. His style, though, is never going to make him popular. It will make him good.

I wonder if Lampley shits over the 16 pound gain for Pacquiao like he did Gabi.

...nope, not yet. Just a "functional four-pound weight advantage."

The first 30 seconds see no real action, both guys getting their feet under them. Pacquiao with a left, and a right follows it. Long left, Marquez avoids it.

Not much action for the first minute and change. Marquez is being very cautious.

Pacquiao blocks a counter right from Marquez. HARD RIGHT from Marquez, Pacquiao responds with a glove thump on his own, and it might be ready to go off.

Hard left from Pacquiao! Wicked body shot from Marquez, maybe borderline low. The moments where it turns up are as tense as it gets.

Neither established much this round, and that's a tough one to score.

Pacquiao 10-9 as he landed more big shots

The leather is starting to fly now. They are ready to mix it up, particularly Pacquiao, who's looking like the firecracker we all love.

Right from Marquez lands glancingly, and he's managing to avoid Pacquiao's attempts at big flurries. Nice right hand to the body from Marquez. Marquez backs him up with a left now. He's fighting really well this round and flustering Pacquiao.

Marquez with a body shot, misses upstairs, and Pacquiao shakes him up wwith a couple shots.

At some point, they're going to go to war.

Marquez with a borderline low blow, not his first of the night, but the first one noticed by Kenny Bayless.

Pacquiao charges with the left hand, lands but not square. Marquez comes back with a right, and they trade briefly again. Marquez continues to back Pacquiao up, and HE DRILLS PACQUIAO WITH A HUGE LEFT HOOK THAT STUNS PACQUIAO! That's an exclamation point on the round.

Marquez looked phenomenal this round. The crowd is white hot now.

Marquez 10-9
19-19

HARD right from Marquez, Manny walked right into that blow. Marquez in this round and the last is just totally outboxing Pacquiao.

Accidental headbutt.

Pacquiao's timing just isn't there. Straight right from Marquez, left from Pacquiao. Left lands BIG for Pacquiao just after that. Pacquiao with another nice blow, and he's rallying. Marquez cuts him off

DOWN GOES MARQUEZ ON A PERFECT LEFT HAND FROM MANNY PACQUIAO

He's up, and he's hurt. Five seconds to go. THEY GO TO WAR! MARQUEZ NEARLY GOES DOWN AGAIN AS THE BELL SOUNDS!

WHOO WEE!

Yeah, Marquez almost went to the wrong corner. He's shaken up, and bad. That was a harder knockdown than any of the three from their first fight.

Pacquiao 10-8
Pacquiao 29-27

Yep, Manny's going to make this a fight. That is not good for Juan Manuel.

Marquez wants to go back to boxing, as you might expect.

Manny is inviting Marquez to mix it up with gestures and smiles and all that jive. This is turning into what we knew it'd be.

Pacquiao with another left, and another left. And another left. MARQUEZ UNLOADS!

ThiS IS A FIGHT, BY GOD

BIG SHOT! Pacquiao charges again, and Marquez ducks the left hand.

Hard left hook from Marquez. Marquez slips in another stiff right. Two jabs from Marquez, and he comes at him again, but Manny slips the punches. Solid straight right from Marquez.

Good recovery round for Marquez, I thought. There seemed to be a moment where Manny was going to take the round over, but Marquez kept his composure and got in good work.

Marquez 10-9
Pacquiao 38-37

Two jabs from Manny, and Juan doesn't land on a 1-2. Straight left from Manny again, and now HERE THEY GO. Marquez with good right hands and he wins that exchange.

Big "Manny" chant.

Right hand from Pacquiao, and Marquez goes to the body. Left upstairs from Marquez, jab from Pacquiao, beautiful counter right from Marquez.

Left from Pacquiao, doesn't land flush. Pacquiao snaps the jab out twice, and there's another one. Big right from Marquez!

Well, we've got ourselves a hell of a fight.

Again toward the bell, they kick it up a notch.

Marquez 10-9
47-47 through five rounds

Another beautiful right from Marquez. You know, the most underrated thing about Pacquiao anymore is his chin. No one really talks about his chin. He's got a good one.

POW, another right from Marquez. Marquez is really starting to take the momentum of this fight, I'm telling you.

Body shot from Marquez, but there are two nice shots from Pacquiao. CRUSHING RIGHT from Marquez! Left hook lands! Pacquiao is just eating these brutal shots, and soldiering on.

But right now, I think Marquez is winning this fight. That could change over 45 seconds. Or five seconds.

Marquez pops Pacquiao for coming in again, and that's working quite well for the time being. Another round for Juan Manuel.

We're getting our money's worth.

Marquez 10-9
Marquez 57-56

Pacquiao with a good right, then he slips Marquez's counter shots. Body blow from Marquez. Pacquiao is better avoiding Marquez's shots.

Oh no -- headbutt, and Marquez has a cut outside of his right eye. Doesn't look too bad, not in a bad spot, and ruled accidental. Time in!

Marquez comes back with heavy shots, and Pacquiao sticks him with a right hook. HERE THEY GO!

PACQUIAO LEFT, AND THEY GO INTO BATTLE, GUNS BLAZING!

Manny Steward says, "Marquez can't outbox this guy." Why not? He's been doing it. He's done it before.

Big right from Marquez doesn't get all the way in. That uppercut did, though. Pacquiao with two lefts, and here they go again! (On their own!)

Another super round. These guys can fight.

Pacquiao 10-9
66-66

HARD right from Marquez hurts Pacquiao! That was a shot. Marquez knocks him back again. ANd that cut is worsened now, I'll tell you that much.

This one is getting dramatic. BRUTAL body shot from Marquez hurts Pacquiao! Manny's showboating, but he's gotta be hurting.

Marquez is really on top of the fight right now. Manny's cut is bothering him badly. Right in the eyelid it looks like.

Marquez with a left hook. Pacquiao comes back, Marquez is now outpunching him. Here comes Manny lunging, and Marquez outfoxes him again, shutting down the advance.

That cut is butt ugly.

Pacquiao stuck again by a WONDERFUL Maquez combo! Juan Manuel Marquez is turning up the heat. GREAT uppercut from Marquez!

Oh boy, oh boy, oh boy.

Marquez 10-9
Marquez 76-75

Manny looks more composed this round, but he's not charging anymore. Well, there's a lethal right from Pacquiao. His corner did a wonderful job on the cut. Bet Juan Diaz might ask for his number.

Nice straight right from Marquez, and here comes the blood. VICIOUS left from Pacquiao! Marquez with rights and lefts, and Pacquiao is right there with him. Marquez's cut has been opened up more, too.

Nice combo from Pacquiao, and he's getting his wind back under the sails. Marquez with a body shot.

Either can win the round with 30 seconds left.

Right from Marquez. Time called, and they're giong to look at Marquez's cut? Jesus Christ, he's fine. They were fighting. Oh wait it's a new cut. Shut up, me.

Nice uppercut from Marquez and they just WAIL ON EACH OTHER AT THE END OF THE ROUND!

Tough, tough round to call.

Pacquiao 10-9
85-85 through nine

Here come the championship rounds. This one is right up for grabs.

UH OH!

PACQUIAO CLOBBES MARQUEZ, AND THERE THEY GO!

THERE THEY GO!

THERE THEY GO!

MARQUEZ HOLDS HIS GROUND! HOW ABOUT THAT!

And he settles it down after being nearly floored by that Pacquiao left hand.

Pacquiao DRILLS him with another left hand. Pacquiao has his mojo back this round.

Big left from Manny again, but Juan comes back on him. This is a sensational fight.

Big right from Marquez!

Marquez goes after Manny once Pacquiao's mouthpiece is lost, but Manny holds his own. Another great round.

Pacquiao 10-9
Pacquiao 95-94

Pacquiao's cut man deserves all the credit in the world. He's been excellent.

Marquez warned again for a low blow. He's had a few low shots. Time out? Time in!

Right hand from Marquez. Pacquiao stings him with a left, and he's in the corner. But he punches his way right out of there and backs Manny up. Right hand lands, but not a big one. A little wild.

There's the straight left, and he hurts Manny with that one. Three of them land! Marquez is gaining momentum AGAIN!

Talk about ebb and flow. Momentum has shifted numerous times tonight. Right when I was about to say Pacquiao was just that hair better than Juan, it appeared, Marquez makes his charge.

Marquez with a couple more good shots. I don't think he's badly hurting Manny anymore, but he's landing and scoring with solid shots.

They trade near the bell again, and I think Juan took this round. He did great stuff again.

Marquez 10-9
104-104 through eleven

A minute passes and Marquez is winning this round, and thus the fight on my card.

Nice uppercut from Marquez, followed with a right. Pacquiao got a left in there, too. Right from Marquez, combo from Marquez. Marquez is winning this round.

Pacquiao comes back, Marquez hits him with a left. Pacquiao with a good left hand.

ONE MINUTE TO GO

Everything we thought it would be.

Marquez staggers him! RIGHT HAND! Marquez is going out hard!

THIRTY SECONDS TO GO

Marquez and Pacquiao both just can't get in on each other right now. TEN SECONDS!

Right from Marquez, Pacquiao combo!

And again, they both raise their hands at the bell.

Marquez 10-9
Marquez 114-113

God knows the scores...

Harold gave the 12th to Pacquiao. What the fuck?

HERE WE GO

Duane Ford: 115-112 Pacquiao
Tom Miller: 114-113 Pacquiao
Jerry Roth: 115-112 Marquez

MANNY PACQUIAO VIA SPLIT DECISION

I hate that someone had to lose. I really do.