It would be a fitting, closing chapter for them both.
I’m talking about a third chapter of the always lively, always entertaining Juan Manuel Marquez-Manny Pacquiao boxing series.
I know Juan Ma, who just repeated an earlier victory over Juan Diaz, is a lightweight but outside of his persistent whining about past results against Pacman, the 36 year old Mexican has been a genuine credit to his profession.
I mean, come on, what’s not to like about this willing warrior?
He doesn’t load his handwraps illegally, he has never been accused of using performance enhancing drugs or any other disreputable activity.
Oh, I forgot the silly ?Urinetown? thing, how he likes not waste his liquid waste product.
Well, maybe the yellow stream keeps him flowing and going. He is the king of all lighttweights, no doubt about that.
I can’t see why there’s a need to debate if Juan Ma should get a third crack at Megamanny.
Absolutely, he should. Of course we know in boxing, as in life as Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones advised so long ago, ?you can’t always get what you want.?
Marquez’s overall record matches up well with Pacquiao’s.
They both have notched 51 victories and are only apart by one KO victory (Pacman has 38 to JMM’s 37).
Pacquiao-Marquez III would be fairly simple to promote. You just roll out the past video highlights and go from there.
In an ideal world, I’d see Pacquiao inviting Juan Ma to Manila to stage the end of the trilogy.
Pacquiao would probably stop Marquez if they go at it one more time.
Maybe there is a gigantic Floyd Mayweather fight and maybe there’s not.
But Pacquiao should accommodate Juan Ma for the third bout.
With a draw and split decision, there can be some argument about who was the better fighter.
Again, Pacquiao has gone above and beyond Marquez with his demolitions of Messrs. Hatton and de la Hoya.
But Juan Ma-Manny III would be nothing but fun.
After taking a pounding, the proud Marquez could ride off into the sunset with a big lump to put into his retirement nest egg.
Give him the fight, Manny.
Marquez has earned it for being your fiercest rival and for being a credit to your shared profession.
