Juan Manuel Marquez has revealed the hardest punching that he ever crossed paths with.
Marquez captured world honours in four weight classes during his 21-year professional career, proving himself to be one of the best fighters of his entire generation along the way.
The Mexican great shared the ring with a number of ‘all-time-greats’ during his tenure, including the likes of countryman Marco Antonio Barrera and eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao.
Marquez and Pacquiao faced each other on four occasions within an eight year period, producing one of the most exciting rivalries of the modern era.
In a round of ‘Best I Faced’ with The Ring Magazine, Marquez didn’t hesitate to name Pacquiao when asked to reveal his hardest punching opponent.
“Pacquiao. In all the fights I had, nobody hit me harder than him.”
The first encounter between the two boxing legends, which took place in May of 2004, ended in a draw after a closely fought contest at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Filipino icon Pacquiao walked away victorious in their second and third clashes in 2008 and 2011 respectively, defeating his rival via close points decisions on both nights.
Their fourth and final showdown, which was a non-title bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas once again, saw Marquez sensationally knock Pacquiao out in the sixth round, bringing their saga to an end in emphatic fashion.
Marquez ended his career with a record of 56 wins, 7 defeats and 1 draw, and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2020.
