Boxing: Pacquaio Must Overcome Marquez to get Mayweather

Fight fans are finally starting to believe that Pacquiao vs. Mayweather is going to happen but Pac-Man must first overcome a stiff challenge from Juan Manuel Marquez.

Size matters
This fight is for the WBO Welterweight title but is being fought at a catch weight of 144lbs. That may look like a small detail but it offers a huge advantage to Manny Pacquaio. With Pac-Man having fought four of his last five fights at welterweight, he only has to drop 3lbs from his typical fighting weight. Juan Manuel Marquez is far more seasoned in fighting at lightweight and featherweight and will have to go up 9lbs from his typical fighting weight. The Mexican is a worthy challenger to Pac-Man but one who was convincingly beaten by Floyd Mayweather the last time he stepped up this high.

The past is the past
The hype machine for this fight has focussed on the controversial decision that gave Pac-Man the win in the 2008 fight between this pair at Super Featherweight. Between that and their drawn contest in 2004, Pacquiao carries the weight of never convincingly dispatching Marquez. Time is not kind to most fighters and, unless your name is Bernard Hopkins, being the wrong side of 35 is usually a concern. At 38, Marquez is no spring chicken and he only has a couple of big fights left in him.

The verdict
It’s impossible to discuss a Manny Pacquiao fight without talking about the fight Boxing betting fans really want to see. Words from the Mayweather camp last week made a potential super-fight look more of a possibility than ever. With Pacquiao’s camp openly stating they will agree to Olympic standard drug testing, Money can no longer pointed to testing as a reason to put off the fight. The only way he dodges Pacquiao now is if Pac-Man goes down on Saturday night.

Sorry Pretty Boy, Manny is going to come up big this weekend. With the potential to force the biggest fight in years, I like Pac-Man to dominate Marquez from the start. It’s rare to see a Pacquiao fight finish inside the distance these days, so I expect this one to go to the judges, but don’t be surprised if he comes out with a comfortable unanimous decision. Pac-Man and Marquez fought two terribly tight classics. They won’t produce a third. It’s going to be one-sided and it’s going to be Manny Pacquiao coming out victorious.