Was Juan Manuel Marquez stepping on Manny Pacquiao toes consistently during trilogy fight

Was Juan Manuel Marquez deliberately stepping on Manny Pacquiao's toes and feet during their trilogy fight ?

Did it cause him to suffer from cramp ?

Video shows Juan Manuel Marquez stepping on Manny Pacquiao toes consistently during trilogy fight

Controversy ? Check for yourself…Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez III official scorecard and punch stats

Here's the official scorecard from Pacquiao-Marquez III. The judges concurred on 6 of the 12 rounds – 1, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7.

The Telegraph had it as a draw, 114-114. I gave Pacquiao rounds 3,4,6,10,11 and 12; Marquez 1,2,5,7,8 and 9.

Here are the punch statistics:

Pacquiao ————- Marquez

578 TOTAL PUNCHES 436

176 TOTAL PUNCHES CONN 138

304 JABS THROWN 182

58 JABS CONN. 38

274 POWER PUN THROWN 254

117 POWER PUN CONN. 100

AVERAGE PER ROUND: Pacquiao landed 17 per round from 49 thrown, Marquez 11 from 36 thrown.

On final analysis, in a close fight there are always doubts. The judges make a decision based on individual rounds and hand their scores in each round. Over the generality of the fight, Marquez looked the more impressive; Pacquiao came on strong at the end. But all judging is subjective.

Manny Pacquiao wins by controversial majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez: round-by-round report

Manny Pacquiao retains the WBO welterweight title with a controversial majority decision over Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Most ringside observers had a draw (ESPN, BOXING NEWS, TELEGRAPH), others (LAS VEGAS SUN, USA TODAY, WALL STREET JOURNAL) had Marquez winning in the third fight between the pair.

ROUND BY ROUND

ONE

Cagey opening round, won by Marquez, who lands a couple of glancing blows to the champion’s head and a handful of body shots. Mexico, and Ole echo around the Arena. Both men very patient. Last 10 seconds they go at it.

Marquez 10-9

TWO

Two good lefts from Pacquiao. Left uppercut from Marquez, big right and a body shot. Marquez landing marginally more shots. Pacquiao allowing Marquez to dictate from the counter. Pacquiao reluctant to come forward, seems too cagey.

Marquez 10-9

THREE

Left uppercut from Marquez. Chants of ‘Mexico’, Marquez fans know their man on top. Body shot from Marquez. Good jabs from Marquez, then a fencing to the body. Left then great right hook from Pacquiao; the heat in the ring raised in the last few seconds as they trade.

Pacquiao 10-9

FOUR

Left, right and then a big left from Pacquiao. Then another left from Pacquiao. Yet Marquez returns, landing a right hand a body shot. Pacquiao hunting him down more now, but Marquez lands with two right hands at the end of the round. Screams his delight at the end of the round. Good finish by Marquez better Pacquiao lands more.

Pacquiao 10-9

FIVE

Crowd roars as left uppercut from Marquez lands. Mexican’s jab working well. Right hand knocks Pacquiao off balance. Left upper cut then a right hand all great work from Marquez.

Marquez 10-9

SIX

The fight really comes alive. Left from Manny, right from Marquez. Then two body shots from the Mexican. Pacman lands a right hook, then a flurry of punches from Pacman, and two rights from Marquez. Both men really opening up.

Pacqiuao 10-9

SEVEN

Marquez winds up with big right, then a left-right, sending Pacquiao’s hair up in a shock. Good movement and counters from Marquez. Best round of the fight so far for Marquez, catching Pacman time and again with counters.

Marquez 10-9

EIGHT

Good right from Pacquiao, left to the body from Marquez.

Pacquiao caught again by the right. Good left from Pacquiao, but Marquez is controlling the ring and moving brilliantly. Pacquiao is being caught in the exchanges; looks like he is having an ‘off’ night. Marquez is commanding the show.

Marquez 10-9

NINE

Pacquiao can’t seem to find a way in. Pacquiao upping his attacks but missing with lots of shots. Twice caught in exchanges.

Marquez 10-9

TEN

Good left from Pacquiao at the start of the round. Then another. Marquez is now tiring. Pacquiao looks strong, and is dominating more, Marquez on defensive. Pacquiao cut on the eye from a head clash

Pacquiao 10-9

ELEVEN

Body shot from Pacquiao, now in command but still sloppy work. Pacquiao looking to land and having some success. Marquez looks like he’s fighting protecting a lead

Pacquiao 10-9

TWELVE

Two lefts from Pacquiao, looking for a way in and now the aggressor. Marquez countering less, good movement from Pacquiao lands a couple of left hands. It is not a ferocious round, but Pacquiao lands with more. They exchange heavily in the final twenty seconds.

Pacquiao 10-9

Telegraph score: 114-114 DRAW

Judges score: 114-114, 115-113, 116-112 to Pacquiao by majority decision.

Exclusive interview Bob Arum: Two-handed Manny Pacquiao will defeat Juan Manuel Marquez

Bob Arum joins The Telegraph for an interview in Las Vegas ahead of Manny Pacquiao – Juan Manuel Marquez III this weekend at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Arum has seen most things in boxing in the last five decades. How does he see the promotion of Pacquiao vs Marquez III as a contest ?

"Well it's certainly a lot bigger than the last two fights, but essentially what makes this fight unique is that in the two prior fights, there was very little to differentiate the two fighters. The difference now is that Manny fights with two hands. His right hand is as good as his left. But you've got to understand that Marquez and Nacho [Beristein] are brilliant guys and the style of Manny is made for Marquez because he's a counter-puncher."

"The question is – can he fight with that right hand ? Everybody sees these Hispanics like Cotto and Margarito, they don't know about quitting. When Manny fought Clottey and when he fought Moseley, what made these fighters quit is that they were trained to fight the southpaw, then when they got clocked with the right hand, they couldn't believe it."

Arum: Mayweather fears Pacquiao because of right hand development

"They were like – how are we going to defend ourselves ? That's the problem fighting Pacquiao now. That's the problem Mayweather has… that's why Mayweather doesn't do it. Because if Manny, as a one-handed fighter, goes after Mayweather he can throw that lead right and give Manny trouble, but he can't throw the lead right if Manny is attacking him at the same time with the right hand, because then he'll get knocked out."

"That's the problem. So how that plays out in this particular fight we have to see, because everyone else. Half these people don't understand, Moseley didn't understand… Nazeem Richardson didn't understand that you cannot look at Manny Pacquiao as the typical south paw. The typical south paw throws a jab with his right hand and then uses his power hand. So that's for me what's going to be very interesting against Marquez."

Trilogy fights pass into boxing folklore. The most famous of them all, involving Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier, was on everyone's lips this week, with the passing of Smokin' Joe, taken too early at 67. May he Rest In Peace. A lion of a heavyweight division.

Can the Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy honour that great heavyweight battle this weekend at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Las Vegas ?

"Yeah, I think so because the first two were fairly equally spaced. I never expected Marquez to be as good as he was in that second fight. A lot of these writers missed the point completely. They talk about how Marquez was dead at the weight when he fought Mayweather. But he wasn't… he looked dead at the weight because he is a great counter-puncher and Mayweather isn't an attack guy, so he couldn't go after Mayweather and make the fight so it was a non-event because of the styles. [Mayweather] he's a great fighter, there isn't any question about the fact he's a great fighter but fighting a guy like Marquez is a no-contest for Mayweather. Not for Manny, but for Mayweather. That style is very tough. I think the right hand is going to make the difference though."

Arum, of course, has been involved in a few trilogies down the decades. "Ali-Frazier, yeah, that was an incredible trilogy and then Morales and Pacquiao, Morales-Barrera, Ali-Norton."

How does Arum see the buy rate on the Pacquiao-Marquez fight ?

Manny Paquiao fights you and he'll sell 500,000-600,000 pay per views. Mayweather fights you, he'll sell 400,000 pay per views. Hopkins fought Dawson and they didn't sell 50,000. Marquez is an easier sell than the Shane Moseley fight, because people said that Moseley was shot. The Mayweather fight [against Victor Ortiz], because of the way it transpired, left such a bad taste in people's mouths that they may, as a reaction, decide not to buy this fight. That's what I'm worried about. I mean I don't give a s*** about the theory that 'in boxing protect yourself at all times'. It's still entertainment. It's still sportsmanship. You don't throw those two punches you do not throw the two punches against a defenceless guy."

"In football it's like the equivalent of taking a cheap shot at the receiver unprotected. When I saw that fight, I was watching it on television, I was outraged. I never focused on whether it was illegal, I was outraged, the referee lost control of that fight, and this kid [Ortiz] is a doofus. That being said, it was not something that would please people who spent 60 dollars to watch it on pay per view."

The November 12 clash will be screened live and exclusive in the UK on Primetime (Channel 480 on Sky) for £14.95 by calling 08712004444, by visiting www.primetimelive.co.uk or Virgin Media customers can purchase using the ‘On Demand’ menu. Customers on Sky must register the first time they use Primetime and once registered can purchase using the ‘Box Office’ menu.