Juan Manuel Marquez twice was literally a point away from beating Manny Pacquiao and altering the course of recent boxing history as we know it. Unfortunately, despite how much he wants us to believe that he won those fights and he's always been that much better than Pacquiao, it just didn't happen. Marquez couldn't accept the loss the second time around, so he chased Pacquiao five pounds north up to Lightweight and won a title. He even went to the Phillipines to issue a challenge, but Pacquiao turned him away. Now at the end of his career, Marquez has finally found his chance for redemption, although it may come at a horrendous cost.
Marquez, at 38 years of age, is getting hit more than he was at 35. His speed is declining and the skills that carried him to the top echelon of the sport are looking as if they are dulling after a rough series of fights over the past few years. At Lightweight, Marquez has had to trade in his precision counter punching style for a more assertive style in lieu of facing bigger opposition. His one prior excursion to an even higher weight class already ended in disaster.
That night came when Marquez weighed in at 142 pounds to challenge the returning Floyd Mayweather Jr., who pummeled a Marquez that looked listless and inoperable at Welterweight. Although Marquez says the weight did in fact affect him, it isn't changing his mind about facing Pacquiao at 145 pounds. While I have always been a Marquez fan, this fight isn't about Marquez trying to establish his true greatness over Pacquiao. It's simply about the payday.
Marquez-Pacquiao III means very little to the sport of boxing. It is just an excuse for Pacquiao to fight yet another opponent with a marketable name who will have the decked stacked against them. Furthermore, what better way for Pacquiao to close the book on Marquez by beating him viciously and decisively at a weight where Marquez won't have any advantages over Pacquiao, who has matured into a full Welterweight frame.
I've been brave enough to deride Pacquiao's choice of opposition during his truly historic run, but Marquez following the Shane Mosley debacle is absolutely ridiculous. Sure, Timothy Bradley and Zab Judah probably weren't the best options for the money, but I wouldn't pick Marquez against either one of them. Hell, Marquez would get beat by Andre Berto, who also was considered a Pacquiao opponent at one time. As usual though, as long as Pacquiao smiles and giggles off every question any reporter may have, the less people seem to care that he's fighting ready-to-order fighters.
I'm going as far as to say that Marquez does not stand a chance against Pacquiao. He is in way over his head for this one and the possibility of Marquez laying an egg once he realizes he can't hurt Pacquiao is high. For as much of a warrior as Marquez is, he took almost no chances against Mayweather once he realized he wasn't getting his respect. Furthermore, Marquez is going to land early and see for himself that Pacquiao isn't going to give him any respect. This fight is going to be a wash.
The cliche that will endow this fight is that Marquez's style will be a nightmare for Pacquiao, as it has been in the past. That will be the only selling point that Bob Arum, Freddie Roach, Pacquiao and Marquez can really work with when you consider all things. For all of you optimists that actually believe that this fight will be competitive, riddle me this: when was the last time a near 40-year-old fighter jumped two weight classes and beat the best fighter in the world?