Round by Round: Manny Pacquiao vs. Marco Antonio Barrera II

THinking about, I disagree with Val and BTG. I did see plenty of opportunities for Manny to unload and take marco out. Marco might have been negative, but he is not a defensive wizard.

Manny's fire has gone, I might actually pick JMM in a rematch.

Unfortunately he is not the beast he once was.

I think his post fight statement of "Thank god no-one was hurt tonight" says it all.

Roberto Duran he is not.

 

Ok.

I guess that's what I expected...controlled tactical boxing with bursts of aggression. It was his best and, I think, his only way to win.

Did he need to do MORE of it? Sure - no doubt.

But the answer we got is that he simply can't anymore - and especially not against Pacquiao.

If he could have, he would have.

The very same people who are absolutely SURE that Barrera would have been KO'd had he fought more aggressively or brawled criticize him for not doing so.

Is it better to go ahead and commit to losing - or to try to find some way to win over the course of 12?

I guess people might say that if it wasn't working; he should have gone for broke trying to KO Manny late. That's true.

But then again...those are the same folks saying that Barrera didn't have the stamina to do that. ::

Peace.

 

No he means Manny. Manny could have pressed a hell of a lot more, and after the fight he was thankful he didn't have to hurt barrera.

Compare that to the whirlwind beast that savaged barrera a few years ago, the difference is immense.

 

No - he means Manny could have been more aggressive, taken more chances and tried to really hurt and KO Barrera.

 

No, Marco was pleased to last the distance. Manny was content with taking the decision under such circumstances, fighting with far less passion than in any fight in recent memory (save for the Larios fight, which also wasn't exactly a scorcher).

You can blame Marco for the fight being a stinker, but if he fought safety-first all night, then why did Manny say in the post-fight that he respected him as a still-dangerous fighter?

Hey, I picked Manny to win by knockout as well. It didn't happen. I'm over it. I suggest you do the same.

 

Barerra didn't even try to win like he did in the first fight,he pulled a Roy Jones and if you watched boxing as long as I think you have you would no how difficult it is to KO a fighter like that.I thought Manny played the best card available to him,why go balls to the wall against a chump that being waaay to defensive and get caught with something stupid.

 

Damn, I really am shot. Not one, but two fellow posters explain MY thoughts before I do. ::

 

"Womp womp?" ::

Womp womp at the point going completely over your head and you going 100% literal.

I had Pac winning handily - and I PICKED Pacquiao to win. Guess how? By decision.

Because you said that if MAB had tried to brawl and be aggressive, he would have been "KTFO."

I thought so to ....so I picked Pacquiao to win by decision.

And now everyone's surprised that it happened. ::

 

But like Jake just said, the passion wasn't there. It just happened to coincide with Barrera fighting to survive.

I swear, if Barrera had fought EXACTLY like this in the first fight, the result would have been jsut the same. Manny was in his face throwing power shots every second in that fight.

There was as much difference in Manny as there was in barrera between the 2 fights, at least.

 

Bingo. :: See how it works?

So it's ok if Pacquiao dialed it back.....but not MAB.

If you've watched boxing as long as you claim, then you shouldn't be surprised by this in this scenario of a once-great fighter in his final fight going up against a top PxP opponent who's already beaten him once.

Guess what....Barrera tried to fight the same way the 1st fight - and Pac was ALL OVER HIM.

Funny.

Peace.

 

Barerra showed much better movement in this fight while in the first fight he just stood right in front of him so I disagree with that.

 

Sounds to me like Manny has lost his fire.

 

The power of editing strikes again:::bears:

 

Yes, that's pretty much what I am thinking. Barrera should have gone for it more tonight, no doubt, but this is basically how he's been fighting for ages now. It's just that it was evident he didn't really try and win, and was content with losing.

There was a bigger difference in the way pacman fought than barrera. You give the previous pacman tonight's barrera and he savages him just like he did before.

 

Agreed, among other things.

 

He has, and tonight confirmed it. I suspected it a while back when he wanted to be a politician OR a lawyer, tonight just confirmed it.

He was actually happy that he didn't give barrera a beating.

He's lost his fire and gone totally soft.

 

The point was to show you the knife you're wielding cuts both ways.

Glad you saw the light. :bears:

 

Disappointing fight.

WORST fight of the 00s fabulous four (Pac/MAB/JMM/Morales)

 

Come on....it's premature to make that assertion.

It's one fight....a rematch against a guy he handily beat (and stopped) in the 1st fight - who was now one division north and 4 years older.

Maybe not the fight that would get Pac motivated to be his absolute best?

The guy is still a beast, a whirlwind and a top PxPer. When he is in against a young, strong, top 130 lber I am sure we will see the best of him again.

ANd to BTG's point, MAB did do some things that defused some of Manny's style.

Peace.

 

i think thats bullshit - MAB just fought a very defensive fight. Granted Manny had trouble finding him today but for Manny to explode more his opponent has to WANT to fight with him, too.

Wasn't on par with his best performances but not an indicator for losing fire.

 

Not really. MAB used his feet a bit more, otherwise he was similar. He looked perhaps a tad sharper, but that was more due to Manny than anything else. It's hard to look sharp against someone who is charging at you like a maniac, and you just want to take it easy and counterpunch.

And as I said, it's something I have suspected for a while, since the politician stuff.

I'll be happy if Manny can regain his fire against a young gun, but I am not sure now.

I wouldn't bet money on pacman against JMM now or even lizaraga, put it that way.

"I am just glad nobody got hurt tonight". ::

 

beat me to it...

 

Majority Decision. You thought it'd be close. ::

 

Lizarraga? Jesus...you are going overboard. ::

Why am I smelling set-ups for excuses down the line if JMM-Pac fight and JMM wins?

:nono:

Pac gets up for the big fights...and thrives on chaos.

And I'm perfectly happy to say he likely didn't "get up" for this fight....it almost HAS to be true.

Hell, maybe he even took it easy to allow Barrera to go out sans KO.

Peace.

 

Yup - next time I have to remember to just say "decision" so I can match whatever happens, like you. :tease:

You did post pre-fight that it wouldn't be close - so you get extra credit.

But three picked Manny by decision, period. So away with you. .

 

He also thrives on dull, workmanlike decisions, it seems.

 

or just not predict at all, and play the Emanuel Steward card afterward

 

That too! ::

 

Well OK I would be surprised if Lizaraga won of course, but you get my drift.

Before tonight I would have picked Manny over Marquez by late stoppage, but now I am really not sure if I am picking manny at all.

I feel that Manny has lost his fire, hunger, and desire. It's that simple.

A man that says "I am just glad nobody got hurt" after a really borign fight, is not the words of someone who still has the hunger to risk his ass in the ring again and the fire to want to destroy opponents.

 

Just got back- I had 8-4 pacman....

Marco simply didnt put it all in like he was supposed to do. Disappointing effort from Marco. He was just happy to get out of there W/O getting knocked out.
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