The world watched in shock as Manny Pacquiao hit the canvas face first from a straight right delivered with impeccable timing by Juan Manuel Marquez. Even Marquez seemed to be in disbelief as a prone Pacquiao lay motionless in a state of unconsciousness.
As Manny Pacquiao woke up, he was in a strange new world. Suddenly he was no longer atop the pound for pound list of boxing’s elite. The once lucrative promise of a bout against Floyd Mayweather was all but gone. With that one punch, Manny had lost the fight and more importantly, the momentum that had taken him to the unparalleled heights of boxing superstardom.
Some may feel that such a vicious knockout loss would effectively end the career of a top professional boxer These people, however, should realize that Manny Pacquiao is in no way the type of fighter to give up in the face of adversity.
The thing many people aren’t realizing is that this was not Manny’s first loss, and that he is not unfamiliar with the disappointment of losing in the ring. What sets Manny Pacquiao apart from other fighters, however, is that he knows how to learn from his losses,
While it can hardly be called legitimate, his decision loss to Timothy Bradley made him realize that he needed to rededicate himself to boxing, and to his credit, he looked like a completely different fighter against Marquez, knocking him down and breaking his nose prior to getting caught with the knockout punch.
Though he lost this fight, it was clear that we were in for a treat, as Manny looked to be hungry again. It was clear that he wanted to win and was willing to leave it all in the ring to go for it.
Manny’s last loss prior to the Timothy Bradley debacle was a decision loss to Erik Morales in 2005. Manny was so upset after that loss that he took a close look at the holes in his game and corrected them in a manner that was so great that he spent the next 6 years undefeated. That loss was incentive enough to work harder, focus on his technique and strategy, and regain that will to win and be the best.
The last loss Manny had prior to the Morales loss was a knockout loss to Medgoen Singsurat in the Philippines in 1999. Manny was on a hot streak up to this fight, and after suffering the knockout, Manny asked for and received a shot at the WBC Super Bantamweight title. He won this fight by knockout in round 2.
Though it is a tremendous bump in an incredibly lucrative road, this loss to Marquez is not as significant as many are making it out to be. Though it is a break in the momentum for Manny, if history tells us anything, we can expect a reinvigorated and motivated Manny Pacquiao to demolish his next opponent.
Whoever ends up standing across from Manny Pacquiao in his next fight should remember that history often has a painful way of repeating itself. Especially when it comes to the vicious beatings Manny Pacquiao gives out after suffering a loss.
