Juan Manuel Marquez had strong words for the judges that declared Manny Pacquiao the winner by majority decision in Saturday’s HBO pay-per-view title fight, calling the decision “terrible” and declaring the bout “a robbery.” And while Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum immediately following the fight suggested the two fighters should a fourth time, Marquez hinted that Saturday’s loss may instead drive him into retirement.
Juan Manuel Marquez May Retire After ‘Terrible’ Decision
“What I need to do is sit down with my family and my camp and make a decision about continuing in this sport or just simply retire from the sport,” Marquez said through an interpretor, according to Reuters. “It will be difficult. I have to decide, I have to see what happens. Maybe I will retire, maybe I won’t.”
“Honestly, it’s a result of the fight,” he added. “The thing that makes me think of retirement is because I have prepared myself so hard for 18 years. This was the biggest fight of my career.”
In the moments after the final bell but before the decision was announced, Marquez looked happy, clearly thinking he did enough to win the bout. His elation quickly turned to frustration as Pacquiao was announced the winner, though, prompting a quick exit from the ring. The crowd at MGM’s Honda Center apparently agreed, showering Pacquiao with boos.
“It is a robbery and of the two robberies I have had against him, this one is the more terrible,” Marquez said, according to Yahoo! Sports. “I was the one with the clearer punches and I won again. The audience protested because they knew that I won again. It is difficult to fight against a fighter and two judges as well.”
In his post-fight press conference, Pacquiao acknowledged the crowd’s reaction but didn’t give it any credence. “The fans of Marquez, of course they’re not happy,” Pacquiao said, according to MMA Fighting. “But my fans are very happy because it’s clear I won the fight. ... It’s very clear I won the fight.”
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