Pacquiao-Márquez Rivalry

Pacquiao and Márquez fought four times between 2004 and 2012. The first fight in 2004 ended in a draw, the second in 2008 was won by Pacquiao by split decision, the third in 2011 was won by Pacquiao by majority decision, and the fourth in 2012 was won by Márquez by knockout in the sixth round.

In the fourth fight on December 8, 2012, Juan Manuel Márquez knocked out Manny Pacquiao with a devastating right hand in the closing seconds of the sixth round. Pacquiao had been knocked down earlier in the round and was leading on two of the three judges' scorecards when the decisive punch landed, leaving Pacquiao unconscious on the canvas for several moments.

The first two fights between Pacquiao and Márquez were contested at featherweight (126 lbs) and super featherweight (130 lbs) respectively, with Pacquiao moving up after their initial 2004 encounter. The third and fourth fights in 2011 and 2012 were held at welterweight (147 lbs), reflecting both fighters' movement up in weight over the course of their long careers.

Many observers believed Márquez had done enough to win the second and third fights, which were both awarded to Pacquiao by narrow margins on the judges' scorecards. The controversy stemmed from Márquez's counterpunching style, which some judges viewed as less aggressive compared to Pacquiao's forward pressure, leading to persistent debate about how effective aggression versus clean punching should be scored.