Boxing can be a very strange sport to observe being that sometimes the Superbowl can turn into a perceived pre-season affair.
The rematch between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez will take place this March 15 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada. It?s a fight that?s been more than heavily anticipated by boxing fans across the globe since their initial controversial encounter in May of 2004. The debate has raged on since then amongst the millions of fight fans in regards as to who was the actual victor of that first drama-filled bout.
This is why it?s a strange observation that I?ve made regarding the rematch and how it appears as though team Pacquiao along with his promotional backers, Top Rank, have seemingly mapped out the rest of 2008 for the Filipino icon.
Whatever happened to focusing on the actual Superbowl rather than next season?
Should the New England Patriots somehow find their way to Arizona, February 3rd, they definitely won?t be looking or focusing on anything but their opponent on that day. Why is boxing so different?
Names such as David Diaz and Ricky Hatton are consistently being brought up on an everyday basis regarding the career of Manny Pacquiao. Let me make one thing very clear? Juan Manuel Marquez is not a pushover by any means and to look past this four years in the making rematch spells nothing but disaster for the Pacman.
Arum, Roach, and company should ban all questions regarding the potential future fights for the speedy southpaw and instead solely focus on the fight that boxing has been waiting for.
The odds makers and betting public aren?t giving much of an edge to the Pacman and neither am I. The talks of Marquez being on the definitive slide are over much too overblown. I expect another great, drama-filled bout in which both men will attempt to force their skills and styles over the other creating a classic prize fight for the ages.
As far as I?m concerned, while De la Hoya-Mayweather II has a 99 percent chance to outsell Pacquiao-Marquez II in terms of ticket sales and pay-per-view purchases, there?s only one Superbowl of boxing and that?s taking place March 15 at the Mandalay Bay.
