Monday, November 27, 2006 Marquez stops Jaca in 9th By Charles Raymond A. Maxey
IT'S BAD news this time.
Exactly a week after Manny Pacquiao thrilled the nation with his stunning win over Erik Morales, Philippine boxing suffered a big blow when Jimrex Jaca was stopped in the 9th round by World Boxing Organization interim champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico in a bloody featherweight championship clash Saturday at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.
The young Jaca put up a spirited performance as he engaged Marquez in a slugfest, but the Mexican champion was just too skillful and his vast ring experience carried him through in the end.
Marquez, who was bleeding from a cut caused by an unintentional head butt in the 5th round, dropped Jaca with a left hook in the 9th and the referee counted the Filipino out. The fight ended at the 2:48 mark of the round.
With the victory, Marquez raised his record to 46-3-1 with 36 KOs, while defeat dropped Jaca's slate to 27-3-1 with 12 KOs.
Jaca, who hails from Negros Oriental, displayed a fine performance for a young boxer facing a wily veteran in Marquez.
Marquez was leading 80-72 in all scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
The victory by Marquez somehow erased the stigma of Mexico's debacle in the ring when Pacquiao stopped Morales in the third round just a week back in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao and Marquez had fought to a draw back in 2004 also in Las Vegas.
In that fight, Pacquiao decked Marquez three times in the first round but failed to finish off the Mexican, allowing his opponent to comeback and salvage a draw.
Prior to the Jaca fight, Marquez told the press he wants to have a rematch with Pacquiao.
But Pacquiao, upon his return to the country days ago, has expressed his desire to fight World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight titlist Marco Antonio Barrera next.
Barrera lost to Pacquiao the first time they met via an 11th-round technical knockout (TKO).
