411's Pacquiao-Marquez II Report 03.15.08

Posted by Ramon Aranda on 03.15.2008

Manny Pacquiao defeated Juan Manuel Marquez to become the new WBC & Ring Magazine junior lightweight champ Saturday night! Also on the card, David Diaz picks up another win en route to a showdown with the Pac-Man. Check out 411's round by round coverage of the entire card from Saturday Night from Las Vegas! Updated with photos.



Photos by Laura De La Torre

What a big night we've got coming up and we've got all the coverage from tonight's Unfinished Business PPV featuring the rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao.

The event begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT and i'll be bringing you round by round updates of all of the televised fights. I will also bring you updates of the non-televised fights which can also be see via Yahoo! Sports and ESPN360.

-------------------------------

Tonight's Televised Card

MAIN EVENT
Juan Manuel Marquez (48-3-1, 35 KOs) vs. Manny Pacquiao (45-3-2, 34 KOs)
WBC & Ring Magazine Junior Lightweight Championship

Steven Luevano (34-1, 15 KOs) vs. Terdsak Jandaeng (29-2, 19 KOs)
WBO Featherweight Championship

Abner Mares (15-0, 9 KOs) vs. Diosdado Gabi (30-3-1, 22 KOs)
NABO Bantamweight Championship

David Diaz (33-1-1, 17 KOs) vs. Ramon Montano (15-4-2, 1 KO)
Non-title Bout

[The scores displayed after every round are my own and are not official.]

-------------------------------

6:04 p.m.: Hello everyone and thank you for joining us tonight for this big card from Las Vegas. Both David Diaz and Ramon Montano have already entered the ring and Michael Buffer now gives us the introductions. There are so many fans in attendance for both Pacquiao and Marquez that it feels like a soccer match between two countries. You can smell an exciting night!

-------------------------------

David Diaz (33-1-1, 17 KOs) vs. Ramon Montano (15-4-2, 1 KO)
10-Rounds Lightweights Non-title Bout

(Diaz is a lightweight title holder and this is a tune-up fight for his proposed bout with Manny Pacquiao later this year)

Round 1: Montano starts off winging hooks to the head of Diaz and catches the champ flush on the chin with a left hook early on. Perhaps Montano doesn't like to be thought of as a tune-up and he's certainly not fighting like one. Diaz is coming forward but mostly looking to counterpunch right now; I dont' think he was expecting to get into a real fight so early. Montano takes this round rather surprisingly.

10-9 Montano

Round 2: David Diaz goes right after Montano to start off the 2nd. Perhaps his corner told him he better start faster given Montano's determination in the first. Montano lets off some excellent hooks to the body but Diaz responds by landing a right uppercut followed by twomore lefts tha hit the mark. We've got a slugfest already! Dia is taking some right crosses but is landing his uppercut with regularity. Montano better move his head in there or he's going to get it knocked off. Diaz is now starting to whether Montano's hooks as he covers up on the inside but counters with left and right uppercuts. Much better round for Diaz.

19-19 Even

Round 3: They trade jabs for the first 10 seconds but Diaz has enough of that and goes back to throwing hard punches. They semi-hold in the middle of the ring but they are throwing punches to keep the actoin going. Montano lets off a 4-punch combination but Diaz takes most of them on the gloves. Referee Joe Cortez warns Monano about coming in with his head after he headbutts Diaz. David gets right back into Montano's face and bombards him with hooks to the temple. What great action to kick off this card. Montano straightens up his punches and goes back to the jab but you can see he doesn't carry the same pop that Diaz does. The champ nails Montano with a left and another right uppercut to close the round. Diaz gets this one.

29-28 Diaz



Round 4: Once again they meet in the center of the ring and they trade in closed quarters. I don't think Diaz respects Montano's power as he's willing to take a punch to dish one out and you can see that his are the harder blows. This is no technical fight....Diaz works off the upeercut to land his left hook to the body. Montano is right in there but can't land anything flush right now and is eating way too many uppercuts. A right cross lands from Diaz right on the jaw but Montano handles it well and now throws a pretty good string of punches. With Diaz in Montano's chest, Montano is using his left elbow to push him off. He manages to land a decent straight right to end the round but it will go to Diaz.

39-37 Diaz

(Manny Pacquiao is shown on the big screen entering the arena to a mix of cheers and jeers. The "Manny, Manny" chants begin and as soon as they stop, the "Marquez" chants begin)

Round 5: Diaz lands a crisp hook to bein things and they go right back to brawling to the approval of the fans who have already filled up about 1/3 of the arena. Montano is starting to get a little wild with his hooks and David is countering well. Diaz ducks a left hook and bombs a way with a right hook that nearly took Montano's head off. Unaffected, Montano lunges in with a pair of hooks to the body but eats a left hook at the end of three rounds. David takes the 5th.

49-46 Diaz

Round 6: The rounds are going by pretty fast with the type of action we're getting from these two and round 6 is no different. In a near carbon copy of the previous round, Diaz lands punishing uppercuts on the inside while Montano tries to box when he gets enough distance to use his jab. Good round for Diaz.

59-55 Diaz

Round 7: Montano begins a little faster here and digs to the body after leading in with left jabs. Diaz traps Montano along the ropes and ripps in a pair of hooks and a series of uppercuts. I don't know how Montano is able to take these shots right now. He pushes Diaz back but eats another left uppercut. Diaz is switching from orthodox to a southpaw stance. Another uppercut lands on the chin of Montano and this one slows him down momentarily. He bravely fights back but you can see that his punches aren't being very effective. Diaz blocks a hook to the head and wings another uppercut that lands on the forehead. Diaz is taking over most of the action now.

69-64 Diaz



(It's always funny to see the ringcard girls get huge crowd reaction.)

Round 8: Going backwards is not in these guys' gameplans regardless of what kind of punches come flying in their direction. Montano mounts another combination but eats two left uppercuts in return. A right uppercut lands for Diaz and Montano retreats; that one definitely hurt him. Diaz closes the round strong.

79-73 Diaz

(Marquez has now made his entrance into the Mandalay Bay and gets a huge ovation from the crowd. He looks very focused.)

Round 9: Diaz bullies Montano against the ropes and bombs away though Montano is able to take them fairly well; all things considered. Montano eats a series of hooks and is stunned but continues to throw back his own punches. He's got some swelling on that right eye now but he's trying his best to hang in there. Diaz again lands a hook-uppercut combo but Montano makes it through the round with his senses.

89-82 Diaz

Round 10: We enter the final round and Diaz tries to close the show. He goes right after Montano and is landing his hook and uppercut nearly everytime he throws it. He has Ramon's back against the ropes but isn't able to do any real damage. Diaz continues to come in with body shots and uppercuts. A right cross has Montano's knees buckle for he fights him off and lands a straight right to the mouth of Diaz. Diaz gets him along the ropes again and nails him with a massive punch that knocks his mouthpiece off. Montano is retrating and also has tape from his gloves hanging off. Joe Cortez sees no lull in the action and just yanks the tape that's hanging off, and tosses it over the ropes. Crowd and media give him a good reaction...good call Joe! The mouthpiece gets put back in and the action never seems to take a break. Diaz and Montano close out the round in a clinch. Good round for Diaz.

99-91 Diaz

I gave 9 out of 10 rounds to David Diaz but all credit to Ramon Montano for making it an entertaining scrap. We know wait for the official scores.

Michael Buffer announces the scores as 95-95, 99-91, 97-93 for the winner by majority decision...

David Diaz!

Wow....95-95 by one of the judges. Sure it was competitive but no way Montano wins 5 rounds.

-------------------------------

Abner Mares (15-0, 9 KOs) vs. Diosdado Gabi (30-3-1, 22 KOs)
12-Rounds NABO Bantamweight Championship

Round 1: We've got some fun bantamweights here and they trade during the early going. Gabi is landing a nice straight left to the gut of Abner. Let's see if that comes into play later on as those are very hard punches. Abner lands a left hook but is given a left cross in return by Gabi. Another set of strong lefts to the body for Gabi have Mares backpeddling just a bit. Gabi lands a body shot but is caught with a huge right cross and is stunned. The crowd gets into it as Gabi is on unsteady legs. Mares goes for the KO but the round ends before he gets his chance. Both opening fights start off fast...good stuff. Mares takes the round based off hurting Gabi in a close round.

10-9 Mares



Round 2: Mares goes right after Gabi and has him hurt, a hook and DOWN GOES GABI! Gabi is down flat on his back. Gabi gets up but is definitely hurt. Mares tries for the KO a second time and floors him with a straight right. Again Gabi makes it on his feet but the referee has seen enough and the fight is over!
This was fun to watch while it lasted.



Winner by 2nd round TKO Abner Mares

-------------------------------

7:04 p.m.: What a great start to the card. Two action packed fights is only a good omen for tonight's event. The crowd is already buzzing and we've still got another undercard bout to go. The arena is now filling up fast as we're about an hour away from the main event. We were told it would begin shortly after 8 p.m. Pacific.

7:08 p.m.: Pacquiao is shown being given his instructions in the locker room. He looked very drained and thin in the face at the weigh-in yesterday afternoon. He still looks somewhat pale. Let's see if his effort to make weight won't affect him tonight. Marquez is now shown relaxing in the dressing room smiling for the cameras and looking happy to be here.

-------------------------------

Steven Luevano (34-1, 15 KOs) vs. Terdsak Jandaeng (29-2, 19 KOs)
WBO Featherweight Championship

Round 1: Luevano opens up with a quick right jab. Jandaeng attempts to land a haymaker left but only hits air. Luevano looks very relaxed in there and sticks to his jab to create some openings. Luevano lands a very sneaky left cross that no one but Luevano saw coming that buckles the challenger but he smiles and regroups. I'm surprised Luevano didn't just follow up wiht another hook. Luevano feints a few jabs to keep Jandaeng honest. The champ takes the round.

10-9 Luevano

(Mike Tyson makes his way out to ringside and shakes a few hands. Tyson suer looks in out of condition these days.)

Round 2: A little bit of a slower round but both fighters are tryng to surprise the other with left crosses. A cut opens over the challenger's right eye and he begins to paw at it throughout the round. Luevano ducks under a series of hooks from Jandaeng as the round comes to an end. Luevano looked slightly better in the 2nd.

20-18 Luevano

Round 3: Steven is using the entire ring, moving side to side and trying to circle around Jandaeng to give him different looks. The challenger lands three hooks to the body that looked hard. They trade again for a few moments and Jandaeng again lands a hook to the body. I give this one to Jandaeng.

29-28 Luevano



Round 4: Jandaeng is looking to make this more of a brawl and he follows Luevano around the ring. Steven is using his jab as he circles to his right. They bump heads and then exchange combos. a left hook from Jandaeng and LUEVANO IS DOWN! It was a perfect shot. Luevano beats the count and they go at it...finally a fight breaks out. Jandaeng is bleeding from his eye and they trade left hooks. Jandaeng appears to have been caught and he goes down. It's ruled a slip however...whoa..let's see the replay. The replay shows that a punch landed and Luevano should be credited with a knockdown. Fun round but horrible call.

38-37 Jandaeng



Round 5: Jandaeng has some badly swollen eyes but continues to come forward. Lueavano goes right back to his jab and slips a few hooks. Jandaeng is looking to land bombs right now and doesn't seem like he cares much for combinations. Luevano comes back with a solid round.

47-47 Even

(Marquez and Pacquiao are shown in the back getting their hands taped up. Manny is all smiles now as is Marquez.)

Round 6: Steven's right jab is leaving Jandaeng's cheekbones like raw meat. The challenger pushes Steven to the corner and they rip uppercuts on each other. Luevano is doing a good job of staying away from the big punches while concentrating on his jab and straight left. Good round for the champ.

57-56 Luevano

Round 7: That jab is really getting the job done for Luevano. Jandaeng follows him around the ring but eats a number of stiff jabs for his troubles. He's only loading up with one punch and that won't get him any points on the cards. Luevano wins this one too.

67-65 Luevano

Round 8: Luevano pumps that jab and he knows he's winning with it. He sneaks in a left cross for good measure and lands a 3-punch combination. Jandaeng stills moves forward and as he ducks a hook, he rips a body shot that lands right in the nether-regions. He gets a warning and Luevano takes a breather in the corner. Boy that punch was vicious! He may take the entire 5 minutes and he's in his right af ter that punch. Well he only takes about half of that and goes right back to snapping his right jab. Good action in the corner with Jandaeng unloading to the head and body. Luevano rips a few more jabs and the round is over. I give this one to the champion.

77-74 Luevano

Round 9: Jandaeng seems like he's looking for the knockout with every punch he throws. He's still in the fight so he should really try to throw combinations. He moves Luevano to the ropes and the champ does a cute spin move to get out of harms way and put Jandaeng in the same position. A right hook lands to the jaw of Jandaeng and he looks a little discouraged. Luevano has done a good job of rebounding from the knockdown and he looks much fresher than his opponent. Another round for Steven.

87-83 Luevano

(Luevano may need a knockou if he loses another round. The arena is completely full now but there's three rounds to go in our semi-main event.)

Round 10: Luevano again goes to the jab and he bullies Jandeng around the ring. Ooh, and a fierce uppercut from Jandaeng knocks about a pint of sweat off Luevano's head. His best punch in a few rounds. They clinch near the corner and the challenger lands a flush hook. The ref warns both guys again about leading with their heads and he should. Luevano tries a few straight punches and he stuns Jandaeng to close the 10th. Jandaeng landed the bigger punches but just wasn't active enough to win this round.

97-92 Luevano

(Erik Morales is shown at ringside looking on closely to the fight.)

Round 11: Jabs and straight right hands strafe Jandaeng in the kisser. He looks dog-tired and it's affecting his punch output. Jandaeng goes for broke and unleashes a winging uppercut that lands square on the chin of Luevano that nearly knocks his mouthpiece out. Steven comes back with a jab and hook and then ducks out of a Jandaeng cross that makes him do a 360. Jandaeng lands one more hook as he wins the round.

106-102 Luevano

Round 12: It's no wonder that Jandaeng is throwing haymakers; both of his eyes are swollen pretty badly. He lands another low blow and follows up with a hook. Jandaeng then runs in with a massive hook that stuns Luevano. They tussle and the ref breaks it up. Now it's a slugfest again but soon becomes a cat and mouse game with under a minute to go. Luevano thinks he's ahead and choses to run for the remainder of the rouond. The crowd was not pleased with that one.

115-112 Luevano

I gave a 3-point edge to Luevano and I expect similar scores from the judges. Another entertaining fight that started off slow but picked up as the fight wore on. Three undercard fights, three fun bouts. This bodes well for the main event.

The scores are read as 118-109, 119-109 and 119-109 for the winner by unanimous decision...



Steven Luevano

Didn't think the scores would be so lopsided and it's a bit unfair to Jandaeng but the right guy still won.

-------------------------------

8:05 p.m.: Well we've got one fight left and that's the main event of the evening. The crowd is in a frenzy now with chants and flags waving all around. I certainly can't wait for this one and we've all waited four years to see it. Let's hope it lives up to expectations.

8:11 p.m.: National anthem time.

8:14 p.m.: You can cut the anticipation with a knife. I can barely sit still!

8:19 p.m.: Now Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao makes his way out to the ring to a huge ovation as the Philipino guy from the Black Eyed Peas gets down on the mic.

8:21 p.m.: Marquez now enters the ring to the sounds of mariachi echoing through the Mandalay Bay. Michael Buffer now reads off the particulars.

8:26 p.m.: "LLLLLLLET'S GET RRRREADDY TO RUMBLLLLLLLLLLLE"

Enjoy the main event everyone!!

--------------------------

Juan Manuel Marquez (48-3-1, 35 KOs) vs. Manny Pacquiao (45-3-2, 34 KOs)
WBC & Ring Magazine Junior Lightweight Championship

Round 1: A tactical opening to the round as both guys try to establish their jabs. Manny lands a hook and Marquez responds with a straight right hand that snaps Manny's head back. Pacquiao comes in with double jabs and a straight left as in the first fight but Marquez slips the punches and lands to the body. Typical feeling out process but Marquez earns the round.

10-9 Marquez

Round 2: Manny is still pumping double and triple jabs to make his way to the inside and Marquez looks for the conter. Manny goes to the body now with a straight left. Marquez feints and lands a short left hook. Manny comes in with a right and Marquez counters again. Now Manny lands his left and looks to land a combination before Marquez moves out of harms way. Another body shot lands for Manny and Marquez lands one just below the belt to warrant a warning. Manny jabs and lands a straight left and then a left cross to the chin. Marquez lets off an uppercut that just grazes Manny's chin and then a big left hook stuns Pacquiao but stays on his feet. Wow!! Didn't see that coming...Manny was winning the round but Marquez may have stole it with that one!

20-19 Marquez



Round 3: Manny comes out with the jab again as Marquez responds with his own. A straight right lands for Marquez that catches Manny off balance but is ok. They look to land their crosses and they butt heads. Luckily there is no cut on either man. Manny lands an uppercut and then a straight left. Marquez comes back with a hook that Manny slips failry well. Now a one-two land for Pacquiao and Marquez backs up...Manny lands a murderous hook and DOWN GOES MARQUEZ!!!





Oh and Marquez is hurt...he rises to beat the count and Manny clocks him again but the ropes hold him up. Damn that right cross by Manny was right on the button. They trade to end the round. WOW!!

28-28 Even

Round 4: Manny comes out like a typhoon and catches Marquez with blistering lefts. Marquez goes back to boxing but is eating some heavy leather. Looks like Juan has shaken off the cobwebs but he better stop trading with Manny or he's going to get knocked out. Juan Manuel jabs and lands a body shot then circles to his left. The round closes with Marquez exchanging with Pacquiao. The Pac-Man puts another round in his pocket.

38-37 Pacquiao



Round 5: Manny is moving his head from side to side making it difficult for Marquez to land a steady jab but Marquez jabs to the body as well. Manny pounds his gloves and urges Marquez to trade with him. Manny lands a body shot but eats a right cross in return. A hook lands to the temple of Manny but has no effect. Marquez lands his jab and hits Pacquiao with a cross to the eye. Manny comes back with his own cross to the eye. Man they're matching each other punch for punch here. Marquez jabs and lands a sizzling straight right to the nose of Manny and they trade again to end the round. Tough round to score but Marquez had the edge.



47-47 Even

Round 6: The first minute of the round is slow with jabs being thrown by both guys. As I type that last sentence, they trade hooks to the head, both of which land. Marquez now digs an uppercut to the sternum of Manny before Pacquiao lands another left. Marquez cataches Manny off-balance and lands a right. Manny wants to trade but Marquez backs up and lands another one-two. Manny slips a hook and lands a body shot. Manny eats a straight right to finish the round. Marquez earns this one.

57-56 Marquez

Round 7: Marquez lands a straight right early on and makes Manny miss by taking a step back. A left hook to the body by Marquez and a combination lands. Marquez is going back to the jab and fighting from the outside. Another headbutt lands and Marquez is cut. Never a good thing, but it doesn't seem too bad at this point. It is however above his right eye. Marquez lands another right but Manny answers back with a pair of lefts that score. It's becoming a war right now with blood streaming down Marquez' face...bad cut now! A right uppercut lands for Marquez and slips Manny's counter hook. Pretty good round by the champ and it appears Manny is cut too.

67-65 Marquez

Round 8: With both fighters cut Manny catches a straight right that causes him to bleed. Looks like he caught it right in the eye. This one's going to get ugly...in a good way . Manny eats a left hook to the body that hurts him as he slumps along the middle ropes. He fights back though but seems bothered by the shot to the kidney. Marquez zeroes in methodically and goes back to the jab. Manny is backing upbut now fires back his own lefts to get out of the ropes. Marquez is now pounding Manny to the body and pounding him hard!! Marquez in complete control in this round...so far. A one-two lands for Marquez and Manny has no answer. Now Manny goes to the body and lands a counter left cross. The round is over. Marquez wins this one easily.

77-74 Marquez

(Manny is being looked at in the corner by the ref and doctor and he may be hurt bad...uh oh.)

Round 9: Manny goes on the attack and lands a few of his right jabs. Marquez goes to the body with a left hook and jab to the gut. Pacquiao throws a jab and is countered with a straight right and then another. I don't think Manny can see very well out of that eye but he lunges in with a straight left that lands flush. A counter hook by Marquez lands and so does another body shot. Manny lands a hook and blood is pouring down Marquez' face again. Time out is called and dthe doc will look at Marquez' eye. He cleans him up but says he's fine to go. Manny catches an uppercut and lands a hook that lands. Great exchange to end the round after a burst of energy from Pacquiao heats up. Marquez wins the round.

87-83 Marquez

(Manny seems drained right now...I wonder if the weight is bothering him. Still, you can't count out Manny's superb punching power.)

Round 10: Manny fires off a hook-cross combo that stuns Marquez to start the rou nd!! What did I just say about the power. Marquez trades with Pacquiao and eats a few left hands.. Blood is all over Marquez' face. The crowd starts chanting for Manny and Marquez digs to the body. He lands another body shot but a little low and gets warned. They settle down again and it's back to boxing. Manny times a left hand and lands it flush. Marquez jabs and lands another right but gets countered with a hook. Great action in the 10th! Marquez' corner better control that cut in between rounds. Manny gets this round.



96-93 Marquez

Round 11: Marquez lands a borderline low blow and Manny takes a few seconds to rest. Manny then comes firing in the corner but Marquez makes his way out. A cross lands for Marquez and misses with a body shot. A strafing right makes Manny retreat but he comes in with a right jab and hook. They back each other up with jabs and Marquez lands a hook then a right hand. Manny then feeds him a right hook. and another one. Tough round to call. I'll call it even.



106-103 Marquez

Round 12: Manny tries to slug it out but Marquez slips the pnches and backs off. He throws a couple of left jabs and lands a straight right. Manny then blocks the following right and lands a good hook. They trade in the corner anda Marquez counters a Pacquiao hook with his own right that knocks him backwards. Manny comes forward however and is throwing his jab again. What a war. The close the round in a huge exchange. Marquez edges the round.



116-112 Marquez

I think Marquez outboxed Pacquiao throughout most of the fight even though he suffered a knockdown. The fight was similiar to their first encounter minus the huge round 1 for Manny.

We now await the scorecards.....

Score are read as 115-112 (Marquez) 115-112 (Pacquiao) and 113-112 for the winner by split decision....



And NEW WBC & Ring Magazine junior lightweight champion, Manny Pacquiao!

Well it was a tight fight and Manny's aggressiveness seemed to give him the nod tonight.

Congratulations to the Pac-Man who will now move up to 135 lbs.

-------------------------------

Thank you to everyone for tuning in tonight and we hope you enjoyed our coverage of Unfinished Business.