I think the question of whether Pacquiao should be in possession of Marquez's belt now can be debated endlessly without a final answer. I'll offer the perspective from my experience there Saturday night. While I saw a consensus that Marquez had won, I believe that their bloody war went far beyond the question of points.

Most Marquez fans were celebrating a victory when the final bell rang -- holding hands high and high-fiving each other. Pacquiao fans behind me stood calmly awaiting the decision. The Filipino fan next to me looked on and told me "I think Marquez won...I think Marquez won." He wasn't celebrating and appeared concerned. I was sure Marquez won.

Either way, it was a very special fight, and I feel we were privileged to witness it. I didn't get his name, but I think my Filipino friend sitting next to me thought the same when we shook hands before leaving long after the fight ended.

I felt a moment of shock when I saw both Pacquiao's and Marquez's faces as they approached and walked by me down the aisle exiting the ring; the stunning physical evidence of their battle became very clear the closer they got. Their beaten and cut faces left no doubt that they'd given all of themselves in there. I feel nothing but awe and respect for both. Each left holding his hands high, greeting and touching the hands of their fans.

As I look back over the experience, I feel that the fight itself transcended the effort to score it. I look forward to the final piece in what is sure to be a classic trilogy. But I do so with some reservation -- only out of concern for whether each can endure the physical suffering that each inflicts on the other yet again. I think that's just where their champion, warrior hearts have taken them to the pinnacle and far beyond what I can comprehend.

Was it a level playing field if both hitters and pitchers were using? I can't agree with steriod use to gain the competitive advantage. But it's looking more like it was to "keep up" with the competition. Compare the handling, reporting and fan reaction to Barry Bonds' story vs. Roger Clemens'. The differences there are what's becoming more disappointing.