MANILA, Philippines – Veteran sports commentator Larry Merchant believes Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao may have been burdened by huge expectations in the Juan Manuel Marquez fight.

Merchant, a veteran HBO boxing commentator, said this might be the reason why there were negative reactions after Pacquiao’s narrow victory over Marquez.

“I think that, to a large measure, this a response to the fight, people expecting Manny to be Superman, look great every time out, and sometimes there are opponents who don’t let you look great,” Merchant said in Boxingscene.com.

Before the fight, most boxing analysts expected Pacquiao to dominate a “smaller” Marquez.

But the Mexican boxer came out smoking and nearly defeated the Filipino champion.

Merchant said Marquez’s boxing style made Pacquiao look bad.

“The best fighters in the world have never just gone out every time and looked like the best fighter in the world every night. And sometimes, more often than not, that has to do with the opponent,” he said.

Pacquiao himself said that it’s impossible for him to give lopsided wins each time he fights.

He said not all fights are easy.

“Siyempre hindi naman parating ganun. May mga time din na mananalo tayo pero by close fight at kailangan alam natin ‘yun na kasama sa boxing yun. Hindi lahat ng panalo ko madadali," said Pacquiao.