Tonight, the third and probably final installment of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez trilogy will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, and promises to be a war between two protagonists who both want to prove a point and end all the questions on who is the superior fighter between them.
The very technical and skilled counter-puncher in Juan Manuel Marquez faces Manny Pacquiao, the speedy offensive dynamo, in a fight that will finally settle the score and close the final chapter of their highly competitive, well-fought and controversial history. A history between two warriors who carry the weight of their nations on their shoulders, a history of pride and determination that was documented in blood, sweat and tears ever since they first traded punches in 2004 and reprised the part in 2008.
The two fighters battled to a draw at featherweight in 2004 after Juan Manuel Marquez came back from three knockdowns in the first round to engage Manny Pacquiao in a savage fight for the rest of the night. Manny Pacquiao would have emerged victorious from that fight, but it was not meant to be, as a scoring error by one of the judges robbed him of the win. Marquez immediately turned down a rematch offer, a foolish decision that made the Mexican travel to Indonesia to fight a solid fighter in Chris John. It was a gamble that proved costly, as he not only lost his belt, but he was only paid a paltry sum way below what he could have earned against Manny Pacquiao.
In 2008, the two fighters met again, this time at super featherweight, and continued where they left off as they showed the world what kind of stuff they were made of. Just like the first, the second fight was a barnburner and showed once again their heart, pride and determination. Both fighters went after each other right at the opening bell as if there was no tomorrow. For 12 exciting and highly competitive rounds, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez battled hard and toe-to-toe. Manny Pacquiao would unleash his lethal left and Juan Manuel Marquez would take it. In return, Juan Manuel Marquez would spear Manny Pacquiao with his deadly right hand and the Filipino would absorb it. It was a very close fight that could have gone either way — a tit-for-tat duel, a good old fashioned slugfest. In the end, the judges ruled the fight a split decision win in favor of Manny Pacquiao.
After years of going on separate ways and taking care of business on the paths that they chose, the long road to a deciding third fight has finally ended. Both Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez left no stones unturned in preparation for the grand battle tonight.
Manny Pacquiao has been reported to be more focused and determined in his training and was relentless against his sparring partners in the Wild Card Gym not seen in years. According to his handlers, Manny Pacquiao had a fire in his eyes in training camp and was very vocal of how he wanted this fight to prove a point to Marquez and the people who doubted his previous victories over his Mexican nemesis.
And at the Romanza Gym in Mexico, Juan Manuel Marquez has shown the fire of a young fighter in his training camp and also showed that he would do anything to be in tip-top shape against his opponent, as he employed Angel “Memo” Heredia as his strength and conditioning coach, who turned out to be a person with a checkered past.
There are a lot of factors that will determine on who will have the edge with regards to their outlook and preparation for this fight.
THE PEDS ISSUE
Manny Pacquiao has been alleged by the camp of Floyd Mayweather of using performance enhancing drugs (PEDs), which the Filipino denied and countered with a defamation suit against the American boxer. Alex Ariza, the one responsible for Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning, has denied this and professed that all the ingredients in the ‘protein shake’ and other supplements given to Manny Pacquiao are legal and will pass any scrutiny by any testing body if the need arises.
Meanwhile, Juan Manuel Marquez, who has bulked up for this fight, admitted that he had no knowledge of strength and conditioning coach Angel Heredia’s daliance with PEDs in the past. He challenged the doubters — including the camp of Manny Pacquiao — that he would take any tests provided his opponent will do the same.
But Manny Pacquiao’s camp did not bite since it would be hypocritical on their part to ask Juan Manuel Marquez to undergo testing outside of what was asked by the sanctioning body, because it would contradict their stand on the drug-testing issue that they had during the negotiations with the camp of Floyd Mayweather, Jr.
FOCUS
Although Manny Pacquiao’s training camp went smoothly as compared to his previous ones, there were some reports coming out now that there was trouble inside Manny Pacquiao’s camp just days before the fight. There was that alleged rift brewing between Manny Pacquiao and his wife, Jinkee, as reported in some Filipino news networks. Then there’s the reported feud between Pacquiao and Alex Ariza, which Chino Trinidad, a reporter and regular staple at many of his fights, reported to be a “heated one,” and which Ariza admitted to be true, although he was quick to follow up that it had already been resolved.
While Juan Manuel Marquez’s camp was a picture of quiet and serenity, Manny Pacquiao’s camp was in a state of disarray. But historically, Manny Pacquiao thrives in chaos around him, so whether Manny Pacquiao is affected at all by the emotional rollercoaster he is facing today remains to be seen.
FIREWORKS
For Manny Pacquiao, there is the pressure to perform and delight the crowd and make up for a lackluster outing against Shane Mosley in May, as well as for easing up and being merciful against Miguel Cotto, Joshua Clottey and Antonio Margarito. Boxing fans want him to do the things that he used to do to his enemy — being relentless and punching the lights out of his opponents, trademarks that posterized the likes of David Diaz and Ricky Hatton. He needs to show that he still possesses the killer instinct that endeared him to many fight fans.
For Juan Manuel Marquez, this is the time to shut up and just make his fists do the talking. For years he has been whining on how he was cheated of victory in their previous outings. He is one of the best counter-punchers in the business, and his history of wars against Manny Pacquiao is an open book. But tonight, he will need all his technical skills and ring savy that he has honed through years of fighting to blunt the expected Pacquiao juggernaut.
Tonight, whatever happened in the past between these two great fighters is now water under the bridge. Whatever controversies regarding the results of the previous meetings are irrelevant and things of the past. Both the fighters and their handlers as well as boxing observers are one in the opinion that the two are now very different fighters since their last fight. What is significant to note, though, is the fireworks that they promised to unleash to make this fight an exciting and competitive one.
Forget the oddsmakers, forget the naysayers and forget the so-called experts’ predictions. Yes, make no mistake about it. Both fighters are ready and raring to go to war tonight. This fight will be good while it lasts. So, don’t blink.
Note: Email me at [email protected]
Follow me on Twitter