"Dream no small dreams for they have no power to move the hearts of men." The German poet Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe's quote was a reality last Saturday night in Las Vegas when the prides of two nations entered the ring and fought a battle that had every heart pounding with excitement. The scene was set in Vegas with the buildup leading up to the third chapter of Manny Pacquiao versus Juan Manuel Marquez. I was honored to be the scribe dispactched to cover the event for FightHype. My expectations of what I was about to witness were that I was likely to see the brutal ending of the career of Mexican warrior Marquez, while the pride of the Philippines, Manny Pacquiao, would have the type of performance that would solidify his stand as the top fighter in the world. With Floyd Mayweather having defeated Victor Ortiz, it was now Pacqiao's turn to stake his claim to number 1.
My expert opinion of what I expected going in was that at welterweight, Pacquiao would be too strong and would stop Marquez within six rounds, and the knockout would raise eyebrows, much like the way Tommy Hearns stopped Roberto Duran. Prior to that stoppage, the demand for a fight between Hearns and Marvin Hagler had not yet boiled, but after the crushing right hand to the jaw of Duran, the public's focus was on a Hagler-Hearns match-up. With much public thirst for Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather to share the same stage on the same evening, a Pacquiao destruction of Marquez would make the pot boil over and it was going to be time for the mega-fight. Perhaps it was something in the air or the alignment of the stars that makes you oversee the hopes and dreams of the other combatant, ready to steal the reality of what was presumed.
I arrived in Vegas Friday afternoon, just in time for the weigh-ins, which is a spectacle in itself. The MGM Grand Garden Arena was full with mostly Pacquiao fans, however, many Mexican fans had filled the outside of the arena and the MGM lobby. That evening, I covered a boxing card at the Mandalay Bay and saw all the posters advertising the Latin Grammy Awards, which had taken place Thursday night. It crossed my mind that perhaps more Hispanic fans than usual might attend the bout, depending on which celebrities might stick around for the weekend. Fight day arrived and that afternoon, the Mexican pride was showing throughout the MGM as Mexican flags were waiving and being worn on the clothing of many fans. The Filipino fans where noticeable also, as flocks of them from the Philippines gathered to head towards the arena to root for their living national treasure.
I took phone calls from friends and fans asking if Marquez had any shot at all? Money on the 9 to 1 underdog was too attractive for most not to at least take a chance. I reminded several people that the last time I had arrived to Vegas expecting to witness the end of a great Mexican fighter's career, Erik Morales turned back the clock and produced a vintage performance in a close defeat to Marcos Maidana. As the crowd settled in, I started to look around and saw so much pride from the Mexican contingency that I had to text one of those gamblers to let them know that if they wanted the bet, go ahead and make it, thinking it was possible that the electric energy from his fans could carry Marquez to a more inspired effort than could be imagined. The crowd's energy continured when the Mexican National Anthem was sung as thousands sang along.
Throughout the bout, the racous cheers from the crowd were, "YES...WE...CAN!" At the end of the fight, Marquez was lifted up on shoulders and carried around the ring as the crowd then chanted, "YES...WE...DID!" Juan Manuel Marquez fought more disciplined than any of his prior bouts with Pacquiao, avoiding the hard punches early that got him in a hole the previous two encounters. Most in the arena felt he had done enough to win, and the crowd was waiting to erupt upon the official announcement.
Marquez had been the fighter of his dreams on this night and confidently awaited the decision victory. In the end, however, the hopes and dreams of defeating Pacquiao were dashed like a wishful fantasy as the majority ruling went in favor of the champion. It was learned afterwards from those that viewed the fight on television that trainer Nacho Beristain had instructed Marquez that he was winning the fight, thus the explanation of why Marquez seemed to go into cruise control for the final six minutes. A decision that did not end up costing him the fight, but would've made it declared a draw had the judges ruled either one of the last two rounds for Marquez.
It by far was not a super controversial fight, and both men delighted their supporters. Debate of the decision should not overshadow the tremendous contest that it was, once again, between these two warriors. The 7-year itch that Marquez thought he had gotten rid of was not the case, but he knew he would have to live with the result. Perhaps Sunday morning, Marquez woke up thinking he had just had a dream that he performed the way he did, but still lost the decision. It was indeed the reality of what had happened, but he did dare to dream big, and in the end, he did move the hearts of his many adoring fans.