From Marco Antonio Barrera and Ricky Hatton to Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr, the legendary ‘Pac-Man’ has been involved in some truly outstanding rivalries down the years.
However, none were more exciting or ended more dramatically, than his 2012 quadrilogy with Juan Manuel Marquez – as the ‘Pac-Man’ teases a return to action in 2025, it’s time to revisit the ‘perfect punch’ that ended their 42-round rivalry.
Pacquiao vs Marquez 4 and the ‘perfect punch’ that ended a 42-round rivalry
Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez’s iconic rivalry started controversially and ended brutally; with the pair facing each other in 2004, 2008, 2011, and 2012.
During their first fight, Pacquiao would drop Marquez a whopping three times in the opening round but would only walk away with a split draw after judge Burt Clements forgot that you could score a round 10-6.
“I just screwed up,” admitted Clements at the time, with that botched scorecard ultimately costing Pacquiao the decision win: “I feel badly because I dropped the ball, plainly and simply.”
Thankfully, the judges got it right on the second time of asking, with Pacquiao earning the split decision in 2008 – before improving to a majority decision in their controversial trilogy fight a few years later.
Then came the quadrilogy bout, aptly titled the ‘Fight of the Decade’, and the infamous ‘perfect punch’ that left Pacquiao sleeping on the canvas.
Marquez started the brighter fighter, dropping ‘Pac-Man’ with a looping overhand in the third round before being floored himself in round five, which was later awarded ‘Round of the Year’ by multiple boxing media outlets.
As a back-and-forth sixth round entered its final stretch, Pacquiao would double feint a jab, before Marquez ducked under the second shot, and unloaded a perfect right hand that landed square to Pacquiao’s jaw…
The Filipino icon faceplanted the canvas, with Roy Jones Jr heard screaming over the broadcast team: “He’s not getting up, Jim! He’s not getting up, Jim! He’s not getting up!”
Marquez would later state that he knew that a KO shot was coming, he just didn’t know who would land that final blow first: “I knew I could be knocked out at any time when he was coming at me in those last three rounds, but I threw the perfect punch.”
Manny Pacquiao’s promoter teases more to come from Pac-Man in 2025
Pacquiao’s last fight came in July 2024, an exhibition boxing match against Japanese kickboxer Rukiya Anpo – and whilst ‘Pac-Man’ certainly didn’t have the best of performances that night, there is still a possibility that he could return to the ring next year.
Speaking to Boxing Scene earlier this month, promoter Sean Gibbons teased that he could be fighting all the way up to his 50th birthday.
“He’s running for Senate in the Philippines from February 11 to May 11. If he gets something by January 31, 2025, he’s ready to rumble. I don’t know what’s gonna happen after that… With Manny, he could be fighting until he’s 50.
“Manny didn’t look as good against Anpo because of a lot of things behind the scenes that went into it. “He didn’t overly prepare for it. He thought he was fighting someone else, and it ended up being a bigger guy.”
Pacquiao will also be officially inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2025.
- EXPLAINED: Manny Pacquiao called out by boxing legend who’s willing to come out of retirement to make the fight