Believe it or not, Mexico City star and reigning WBA and WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez has actually fought in the city of Las Vegas, Nevada, approximately eighteen times as a professional during his eighteen-year career. But never before has his back seemed to be against the wall as much as it will be next Saturday night when he faces off with rival Manny Pacquiao for a third time inside of the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
While Marquez fought competitively with Pacquiao in their first two matches, a May 2004 split-draw and a March 2008 split-decision for Pacquiao, the 38-year old seems to be facing an uphill battle this time around. Ever since their second clash, Pacquiao has gone on to rise in weight while being alarmingly destructive against a high-profile list of opponents.
<--- Bonus slideshow: A look at Naoki Fukuda?s ?Arrival? photo gallery as some of boxing?s biggest stars hit Las Vegas, such as Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya, Floyd Mayweather, Amir Khan, Marco Antonio Barrera and several others Advertisement
Marquez will be making his official arrival to Las Vegas this Monday at Noon inside of the lobby of the MGM Grand and fans are welcome to attend. The pressure may be mounting by the minute but for Marquez, all of the festivities that come with a hectic fight week in Las Vegas are old hat to him.
The seconds are counting down and Pacquiao-Marquez III is just around the corner.
