Okay, so if the super-fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn’t pan out due to blood testing regulations, purse split, bankruptcy/ domestic assault and eventual incarceration (on Mayweather Jr.’s part) or whatever comes out of the woodwork, then I’m one of the many fight fans who wouldn’t mind a third encounter between local icon, Saranggani Rep. Manny Pacquiao and “the last of the three Mexican legends” Juan Manuel Marquez (retired boxers Marco Antonio Barrera and Eric Morales being the others).
The first fight was deemed a draw, despite Pacquiao being able to floor Marquez on multiple occasions. At the same time however, Marquez should be credited for putting a valiant effort and pushing the fight to 12 rounds. The second time they met, it went the distance yet again, with Pacquiao winning on points—which I felt should’ve been another draw based on the way the two fighters looked like they could’ve gone an extra four or five rounds at fight’s end.We all know what happened next: Marquez pined for another match, while Pacquiao had other plans (say, moving up in rank and winning titles in different divisions).
Now, the stage has been set. There’s no one left for Pacquiao to fight other than Mayweather Jr. at whatever weight his handlers want him to be in, while Marquez has made a name for himself in the lightweight ranks—owning the WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine lightweight titles.
One of my colleagues and long-time boxing afficionado, Pimpo Timog, would point out that if Pacquiao could take punches from heavier fighters and unleash beatdowns ala the late great Fernando Poe Jr. does against movie baddies left and right, then who’s to say that Marquez would stand a chance at all?
Well, I believe that Pacquiao hasn’t met a puncher with at least half his speed in those heavier divisions. Oscar De La Hoya “couldn’t pull the trigger” (as Pacquiao coach Freddie Roach would say), Miguel Cotto’s heavy-handed yet slow, Joshua Clottey is a glorified sparring partner while Antonio Margarito has lost some of his swagger.
Also, while watching Marquez “school” Michael Katsidis—there was definitely something in the Mexican warrior’s game that has always been Pacquiao’s weakness on the defensive end: the uppercut.
Don’t get me wrong here, Katsidis is no Pacquiao—maybe more of a poor man’s Ricky Hatton—less power, but he does have the same, gung-ho, carefree approach as Hatton. Early on, Marquez was having some trouble with Katsidis’ flurry of punches but kept breaking the Australian down with choice jabs and, you guessed it, uppercuts.
In the Clottey fight, Pacquiao was exposed (though minimally since Clottey doesn’t really throw a lot of punches) with some timely uppercuts. And if that’s any indication of things to come, then Pacquiao would really be in trouble with the counter-punching Marquez.
Pacquiao likes to weave in and out, but he still needs to engage—something that Marquez has no problems with. I can see Marquez going down early, but not enough to stop the fight. In a close exchange, I’d give the advantage to Marquez, since stronger punchers need space to add force to their shots (in Filipino: “bwelta”). Marquez doesn’t have that problem, his punches have all been well executed throughout his career.
Pacquiao’s dreaded combinations may not work this time, since Marquez would simply cut the ring enough for Pacquiao not to enjoy as much space as he'd like (since Pacquiao likes to draw some of his punching power from his legs).
For all the talks, maybe De La Hoya should throw his old horse a bone here and bite on Pacquiao’s “guaranteed purse” offer if that’s all that’s needed for a fight between this two legends to push through.
If Pacquiao wins, consider this a good tune-up match for his fight against Mayweather. If Marquez wins, then this is the vindication he’s long sought following that decision loss to the Filipino.
Whatever the case, this would shut a lot of people up and leave them pleased/ content with one of this decade's best boxing side-stories.
