Manny Pacquiao is an alien, an extraterrestrial being with superhuman powers who has captured the imaginations of earthlings with his extraordinary feats. Juan Manuel Marquez is a predator, a bloodthirsty hunter who has pursued his chosen prey with guile, cunning, and relentless determination, often against long odds.
In this edition of the TQBR Roundtable, we will debate the possibilities for the upcoming HBO pay-per-view featuring the third matchup between Pacquiao and Marquez, which will take place at welterweight. Specifically, we will focus on the continued allure of Pacquiao, the possibility of a Marquez win, and the impact of UFC?s debut on the Fox network on pay-per-view buys for this fight.
It may be unlikely that Pacquiao-Marquez III lives up to the lofty legacy of the first two fights between the rivals, but let?s hope that it fares better than the movies pitting the eponymous movie franchise villains against one another.
Joining us for this edition of the Roundtable are Jeff Pryor, Alex McClintock, Patrick Connor, Andrew Harrison, Gautham Nagesh, Karl Greenberg and Tim Starks. Man, this thing was easier to compile before our awesome staff grew.
1. Are you as excited for recent Manny Pacquiao fights as you’ve always been? Do you see any evidence that the aura of invincibility that has surrounded Pacquiao since his move up in weight will be threatened in this fight?
Jeff: I’m excited… more than for some of the other recent bouts in Pacquiao’s cadre. For Marquez this is THE fight of his career. So far these two prizefighters have made for two absolute classic battles. This might end up like Erik Morales-Pacquiao III where one man was beyond where he could compete eye for eye for a full fight, realized it and went as hard as he could for a couple rounds. Marquez is comparatively older, slower and smaller than their early matchups. But his mind and fire will keep things interesting and his style is a perfect match to Pacquiao, so I think there could be danger to that unbeatable aura.
