THE storied rivalry between boxing greats Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez has come to a close.
A breaking report by ESPN bared Marquez is set to make his retirement official this weekend, signalling the end of another era in the rich boxing history of Mexico.
Marquez, who turns 44 next month, is a four-time world champion with a career record of 56-7-1 (40 KOs), and widely considered as the greatest Mexican counter-puncher of all time.
But he will be best remembered for his seething rivalry with the 38-year-old Pacquiao, who he brutally knocked out in the sixth round of their fourth and final meeting at the the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2012.
Up until this year, Pacquiao was trying to lure Marquez out of a long layoff and arrange a possible fifth fight between them.
All that became an after thought as Marquez formally announced his retirement on Friday during the Golpe a Golpe telecast over ESPN Deportes and ESPN Mexico, where the Mexican serves as resident analyst.
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