LAS VEGAS – Don’t be surprised if you find Juan Manuel Marquez wearing a t-shirt on his way home to Mexico saying “I beat Pacquiao thrice.”
His promoter, Fernando Beltran, said during the post-fight press conference, “I was thinking of that.”
Marquez, who salvaged a draw against in 2004 and felt he was robbed of a victory in their rematch in 2008, has once again declared that he beat Pacquiao once more.
“The real winner here is Juan Manuel Marquez and not Manny Pacquiao,” he said.
“That’s why I felt very disappointed and frustrated,” added Marquez who wore the yellow t-shirt with the words “I beat Pacquiao twice” following his knockout win over Michael Katisidis in 2010.
When he fought Katsidis, Marquez had Pacquiao at the back of his mind. A year prior to that fight he traveled to the Philippines to challenge the Filipino champion to a rematch.
Almost everybody expected Pacquiao to knock Marquez at a catchweight of 144 lb for Pacquiao’s WBO welterweight crown.
They thought Marquez will have great difficulty carrying his weight, his newly-developed muscles and his punches at 144 lb.
But Marquez proved them all wrong, including Freddie Roach who did not even think Marquez would last six rounds.
Marquez said Pacquiao never hurt him.
“I felt so good in the fight, and honestly I never felt his punches. I was never hurt. I feel he was surprised with my strength,” he said.
It was noticed that after the final bell, it was only Marquez who had his arms raised, as compared to their two previous fights when they both acted like the winner.
“I was preparing for someone from my corner to carry me around the ring but was surprised by the judges,” he said.
“But for all the people who said I was going to get knocked out, it was a robbery,” Marquez concluded.