Four years ago, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez engaged in a dramatic battle. Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the first round, but Marquez managed to survive and pull out a draw. Marquez would have won, but one judge didn’t realize he couldn’t score a 10-6 round.
Typically, immediate rematches are made with less material than Pacquiao and Marquez provided. But because of managerial problems for Marquez, the quick return did not take place.
But time and distance have combined to make Pacquiao-Marquez II quite special. The two will meet in a 12-round WBC 130-pound title match at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Saturday night (HBO Pay-Per-View).
Even though he is 34, Marquez said the timing is right.
“I feel so strong, so prepared for this fight. And I mean the timing – this second fight is coming at the right time,” Marquez said. “I don’t see that it is not the correct time. And I didn’t want to fight him sooner, but everything is falling into place.”
Pacquiao (45-3-2, 35 KOs) was just emerging as one of the best “pound-for-pound” boxers in the sport when he met Marquez the first time. He was coming off an 11th-round TKO victory over Marco Antonio Barrera, who at the time was considered one of the best featherweights in the game. Pacquiao is now universally considered No. 2 on the “pound-for-pound” list behind Floyd Mayweather Jr.
“Well there’s a lot of difference from the first fight, and I think that we will surprise everyone with our new strategy,” Pacquiao said. “It will be different from the strategy on the first fight.”
Marquez (48-3-1, 35 KOs) has also made strides since that last match, winning the WBC 130-pound title in a unanimous decision over Barrera and jumping into the top 10 “pound for pound” list.
“I can tell you that I’m a better fighter,” Marquez said. “I’m a more technical fighter, in better condition, and proved it in the first fight. Watching the first fight, I saw that Manny Pacquiao was getting tired and I wasn’t. I was in my prime throughout the fight. That’s why I consider myself better than Manny Pacquiao because I’m a better boxer, a better fighter.”
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, has helped Pacquiao refine his approach, schooling him on the importance of using his right hand since that fight with Marquez four years ago.
“He’s a much more complete fighter now and he’s a lot stronger. He’s just an overall better fighter,” Roach said. “Marquez has changed his style a little bit and being a little bit more offensive and coming at guys and throwing more punches. I hope he keeps doing that. I hope he doesn’t go back to his kind of punching style with Pacquiao. If he comes to us it will make it easier.”
Pacquiao, a hero in his home country of the Philippines, expects Marquez to come forward and not retreat.
“He is hungry for a victory in this fight because he’s the only Mexican left who has a chance to beat me,” said Pacquiao, who has two victories over Erik Morales and a win over Oscar Larios to go with his victory against Barrera.
“He wants to make a name by beating me. He needs to win this fight. That’s why he will do his best to fight a good fight and win. I won’t let him do that and I have trained hard and prepared for this fight. So it’s going to be a good fight.”
