By MORTZ C. ORTIGOZA
I told Philippine GMA-7 TV before the quadrilogy of Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao that Marquez got the numbers of Pacquiao. Every time Manny lunches his right jabs, he unleashes his (Marquez) power right cross, left uppercut and right cross to the face of Manny while he runs clockwise. As a consequence, Manny could not hit him with his big left straight because the Mexican, like the Coyote in Lonney Tunes, has been running beyond his range. This phenomenon has been almost the same strategy Marquez has done from his three controversial outings with the Filipino congressman. Marquez has been waiting for Manny to unleash a punch where, just like a boomerang, he immediately counter it with a 1-2 combination or even a 1-2-3 flurry. In their trilogy however, Marquez innovated by hitting Manny first with his right or left. But it was his strategy to goad Manny to hit him where he could counter-punch Pacquaio with his trademarked combination. Manny in their rubber match shilly-shally every time he punches Marquez. He could afford only a right and left combination and withdraw to avoid the rattling counter punches of the Mexican. As a result that trilogy was a bore among ordinary fight fans that used to see the explosiveness of Manny when he fought Eric Morales, Oscar dela Hoya, Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito who stood in front of him and did not abscond like Marquez every time he wants to exchange blows.
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The camp of Manny assured the fans that the fight on Sunday (Saturday in the U.S) would be exciting because Manny would summon his fearsome power punches by pressing the fight to Marquez. But how could Manny brings the fight with Marquez when he got tag by the counter punches of the Mexican every time he hit Marquez? They said he would slip by docking the counter punches of Juan while he delivers his bombs to the latter. Incase this would be their fight plan, they could borrow how Floyd Mayweather Jr. penetrated the ring of fire from Marquez. In that bout Floyd bobbled, weaved, covered his face with his gloves, or jumped in and out from the counter punches of the Mexican. Since I was writing this article a day before the fight, let's cross our finger if Manny could weather the counter punches of Marquez who would expectedly increase the volume of his power punches to grab the victory in this fourth fight.
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