Skills wise, the gap between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez have narrowed down seven years after they first clashed in a feverish 12-round brawl that ended up in a controversial draw.
Back then, the smaller Pacquiao was the bigger puncher but Marquez was the better boxer.
Their contrasting styles were then perfectly made for each other even in their second match that Pacquiao snatched via a close split decision victory.
Pacquiao was the quintessential aggressive fighter.
Marquez always the sly fox waiting in ambush.
On Sunday, Pacquiao climbs the ring the bigger man yet no longer the wild and unpolished one-armed bandit relentlessly chasing his victims across the ring. He has morphed into a more complete boxer having rediscovered and harnessed his right hand.
Marquez has also reinvented himself. From a passive powerful counter puncher, he has injected some aggressiveness in his style. He also is bulking up for his Sunday date with Pacquiao.
When these two protagonists in one of boxing?s famous trilogies clash over the weekend and remain true to their newfound tweaked forms, it will be a slam bang affair.
It can end quickly however.
