Dubai: There was an outpouring of disbelief in the UAE over Manny Pacquiao’s latest defeat, with fans saying it could be the end of the Filipino southpaw’s career in boxing.
Six months ago, Pacquiao suffered a controversial split-decision loss to Timothy Bradley, ending a winning streak of a record eight titles in eight weight divisions.
And early on Sunday morning, he was left a beaten man again.
“Manny appeared well-prepared for this match, but he just got hit with a lucky punch during what could have been the winning seconds. He got too aggressive, but his timing was off,” Dubai resident Raul Gabat told Gulf News.
“He should think about hanging up his gloves.”
Fellow fan Mary Anne Relano said Manny appeared “complacent”. She added: “I half expected him to lose. They were both strong fighters, but clearly Marquez was the better one this time.”
There is talk of a possible rematch, but Relano said she’s not interested in such a prospect. “Pacquiao has lost the ferocity of his earlier years in boxing. This match answers all the doubts from their previous matches.”
Elsie Dionisio said she felt “sad about the outcome of the game, but I believe no boxer could have survived that solid right punch of Juan Manuel Marquez.”
Ringside punching stats showed Pacquiao landing 94 of 256 attempted punches, as opposed to 52 of 246 for Marquez.
