In a fight billed as "Unfinished Business" the Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Manny Pacquiao rematch promises skill and action in equal amounts from two of boxing's best.
This Saturday, March 15 at The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada, Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao meet again in an effort to decide who is the better fighter. Marquez and Pacquiao, the best of the super featherweight division, clashed in April 2004 with Pacquiao knocking Marquez down three times in the first round, only to see his lead systematically unraveled by Marquez's superior boxing.
Pacquio's Skills Limited Though Effective
One could argue that Marquez did Pacquiao a favor by unveiling the gaping holes in the fiery Filipino's game. Until then, Pacquiao had relied on his hand and foot speed to quickly jump in and fire limited but effective artillery. Pacquiao's right jab and straight left were usually enough to overwhelm whomever was placed before him. After round one of fight one, it seemed that Marquez was as overwhelmed as anyone else had been, but as it turned out, Marquez had seen the best of Pacquiao, and he knew exactly what to do.
Marquez the Purer Boxer
Marquez's angles, counter-punching, and determination ruled the rest of the fight, leaving Pacquiao scratching his head and wondering how he could knock a man down three times in the first round then barely escape with a draw.
The Fighters Have Changed
But that was four years ago. Four years is a long time in boxing, and much has changed since then. Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, has in essence turned Pacquiao into a southpaw, Filipino version of Marquez. While his core aggression remains, Pacquiao is now a better counter-puncher than he once was, his lateral movement has improved, and he sets up his punches instead of rushing in.
Marquez, though, is still Marquez, which is to say, a masterful boxer. He's also 34-years-old, which, for a 130 pound fighter, is, well, old.
Unlike the Vazquez/Marquez trilogy, in which all three fights occurred in less than a year, with both fighters still in their prime, the Marquez/Pacquiao rematch, it can be argued, is a rematch in name only. If Pacquiao is truly a more complete boxer, and Marquez has slowed in accordance with his age, and since this fight is at 130 pounds instead of 126, what's to prevent the fight from being a one-sided coronation of king Pacquiao?
The Marquez Advantage
The beauty of boxing is that winners and losers don't have to be decided by strength, speed, or even age. For every advantage there is a counter. All that is required is the discipline to use it. Marquez is, historically the more disciplined boxer. He and his legendary trainer, Nacho Beristain have so deeply ingrained boxing, the art, that it defines Marquez. Pacquiao, on the other hand, is a recent convert and one doesn't know how deep his conviction really is until he is frustrated by events in the ring. Marquez is just the man to do the job.
If he becomes frustrated, will Pacquiao regroup and find a way to beat the master at his own game, or will he revert to his comfort zone and bore straight in trying to knock Marquez out?
Saturday, the world finds out what, if anything, has changed.
