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Payback, as funny as it sounds, is on Manny Pacquiao’s mind. Because he never beat Juan Manuel Marquez convincingly. Because Marquez keeps telling everyone he won those two fights. Because of the shirt Marquez put on last year after beating Michael Katsidis. Because it just feels like it’s going to happen.
If you ask Shane Mosley, the last opponent to be beaten by Manny Pacquiao, back in May, Marquez doesn’t stand a chance – I think Marquez is too small. If Pacquiao catches him with a touch, Marquez is going down. If Mayweather can drop Marquez easily, then when Pacquiao hits Marquez, he will hurt him.
Mosley siding by Pacquiao might be because he was pretty easily beaten, even giving up a rare knockdown, or maybe it was just because Marquez referred to the Pacquiao – Mosley fight, saying he’s not going to run like Shane did. In that May fight, Mosley did look to be going for the paycheck rather than actually trying to win the fight. Maybe he just couldn’t, and that knockdown showed him he need to focus on survival.
When you ask Pacquiao about what he’s expecting from the Marquez fight, he’ll tell you Brutal 12 Rounds. I expect Marquez to be faster and stronger than the last time we fought. He is the ultimate competitor.
Pacquiao also addressed the fact that he’s much more than just a southpaw now, and can come in from all angles with both his hands. The biggest factor is the size. Their previous fights were at featherweight and super featherweight. Pacquiao’s a Welterweight now, going up against bigger men then he is. Marquez is a Lightweight, and the fight will be at the 144 catchweight.
I’m not sure Marquez is a better fighter now compared to three years ago. Pacquiao certainly is. He hasn’t lost his speed, but is a much more powerful puncher, a bruiser, as Mosley refered to him – As far as punches are concerned, he just touches you and you’re bruised up. My whole face was bruised up and he didn’t hit me that much.
Freddie Roach will obviously tell you Pacquiao’s in great shape, and is going to destroy Marquez. He keeps talking about the Marquez shirt, and how Manny put a picture of it behind the heavy bag when he trains, with his glare constantly on it.
It’s much more personal now, and all the advantages point to Manny Pacquiao’s direction. Marquez not a quitter, everyone knows that. He’ll take the beating of his life and still keep going. He’s never been knocked out, and as they like to say, he has no quit in him. Still, more then ever, he’s overmatched and just doesn’t possess enough to win this one. I’m not sure he’ll even make it through the 12 rounds.
Unlike Mosley, just trying to survive isn’t an option for the Lightweight champion. It might be his downfall in the third and final fight between the two.