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WHILE
the betting odds continue to favor Manny Pacquiao over
Juan Manuel Marquez, experts agree this Sunday’s fight
has all the makings of a classic bout.
Marquez
and Pacquiao will square off anew in a 12-round
championship fight with the Mexican defending his World
Boxing Council (WBC) super-featherweight crown. Also at
stake is the highly coveted Ring Magazine 130-lb
championship belt.
Four
years ago at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Marquez
astonished the boxing world when he miraculously came
back from three first-round knockdowns then weathered
Pacquiao’s raging attacks to score an unbelievable
12-round split draw.
Although
it took four years for the rematch to happen, Marquez,
34, in a Sports Radio interview Thursday morning, said
age will not be a factor in his return bout with
Pacquiao who turned 29 last December.
“I am
always in shape and always disciplined. I know this will
be a tough fight but I am ready. I prepared three months
for this fight because I know Paquiao will also be
ready,” Marquez said.
Also on
Thursday’s final press conference for the fight dubbed
“Unfinished Business,” both combatants exuded confidence
for their much-awaited skirmish. The betting odds during
the press conference showed Pacquiao a minus 230
favorite, while Marquez was pegged at plus 190. The
official weigh-in is set Saturday.
“It will
be a great fight on Saturday as I heard Marquez has
trained very hard and doesn’t want to let his countrymen
down. But I don’t either, as I need to win this fight
for my people as this is the key to the Filipino unity,”
said Pacquiao.
“Not
only for myself, but all the people who love boxing, I
want them to be satisfied with my performance and not
disappoint them. I will do my best to make them happy. I
also pray that both Marquez and I will be safe and all
fighters will not get hurt in the ring,” added the
charismatic Filipino icon.
Pacquiao’s American trainer Freddie Roach expressed his
contentment over his ward’s preparation.
“Manny
came to camp early and we usually have a rule that we
don’t play basketball and I didn’t even have to worry
about it. He said he didn’t want to play this time
because this fight is so important,” Roach added.
Marquez
annoyed
IN the
same radio interview, Marquez recounted the scenario
that gave him the needed motivation to turn things
around despite the three knockdowns he suffered during
their first battle.
Marquez
said he felt annoyed when referee Joe Cortez failed to
even warn Pacquiao who unleashed another blow while the
Mexican was on the floor for the third time.
“I got
angry because the referee did not warn Pacquiao for that
punch,” said Marquez. “It helped me to come back. It
also helped that I want to keep my two championships
that night.”
Marquez
was defending his World Boxing Association (WBA) and
International Boxing Federation (IBF) featherweight
belts in their first fight.
“Right
now, I am not thinking of any other fight or what will
happen in my future. All I am thinking about is this
fight,” he added.
Marquez
also reacted to Roach’s statement that Pacquiao now
certainly knows how to floor him and that Marquez
wouldn’t be able to recover if ever he hits the canvass.
“Whatever Freddie Roach says is not important to me. I
don’t have a problem with that because inside the ring
it will be only me and Pacquiao,” said Marquez.
Pacquiao
has edge
CREDIBLE
boxing experts gave their analysis about the Marquez-Pacquiao
fight when contacted by the BusinessMirror, and they are
all behind Pacquiao.
Fightnews.com chief editor Karl Freitag said head
clashes and cuts are the only incidents that could
change the complexion of this intriguing matchup.
“I don’t
have a strong feeling in favor of either fighter, but I
do think over the last four years Pacquiao has improved
more than Marquez and Pacman’s five-year age advantage
may prove more significant now that Marquez is 34 years
old,” said Freitag. “Manny, of course, is the stronger
puncher, while Marquez is the better boxer. But all
things considered, I have to give Pacquiao the edge.”
Ring
Magazine editor in chief Nigel Collins described the
scenario that may happen this weekend.
“Juan
Manuel Marquez is the consummate craftsman, a thinking
boxer with all the tools, and, when he’s at his best,
capable of beating anybody around his weight,” said
Collins
“Manny
Pacquiao is a force of nature that has been molded into
a prizefighter, a mercurial, unpredictable ball of
energy in short pants and boxing gloves.”
Collins,
however, warned Pacquiao about the risks of changing
most of his ever-effective ferociousness inside the
ring.
“In the
Marco Antonio Barrera rematch, I thought [Pacquiao]
strayed too far away from the things that carried him to
the top. Manny’s attack was too calculated, and he
relied too much on his newly acquired boxing skills.
This worked against Barrera, a spent force, but if
Pacquiao tries to outbox Marquez, he’ll probably lose,”
said Collins.
“If,
however, Manny fights the way he did in the second and
third Erik Morales fights, I think he’ll beat Marquez in
a definitive manner, maybe even stop him,” added
Collins.
Pacquiao’s former manager Shelly Finkel gave his own
firm assessment of the bout.
“I think
Manny will win. He is younger, faster and a harder
puncher. Juan is a better defensive fighter, that is
all,” said Finkel.
Pacquiao
is eyeing boxing history as a win will make him the
first Asian to capture three world crowns in three
different divisions. Pacquiao also won titles in the
flyweight and super-bantamweight divisions. |
