WITH the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez donnybrook just a week away, The Last Round offers its answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQ) on the last mega-fight of 2011.
What must Marquez to do in order to win?
Considering that Pacquiao blasted him to the canvas a total of four times in their two fights, Marquez has done considerably well against Pacquiao.
If Pacquiao scored a total of four knockdowns and the verdicts turned in were a draw and a split decision win, then that can only mean that mathematically, Marquez has won more rounds on the scorecards than his more famous rival.
Ergo, he has to continue doing the things that have netted him some success against Manny, which is to time his forays and counter-well.
Of course, he has to avoid the big punch from the hard-hitting lefty which is easier said than done.
Finally, he knows that he will be facing a faster, stronger and better Pacquiao, but an admirable trait that Marquez possesses as a fighter has always been his confidence.
So he has to come into this fight believing he can win and feed off from his two admirable performances against the pound-for-pound king.
How will Marquez?s conditioning factor in?
Much has been said about Marquez coming in more muscular for this fight.
First off, having more muscle mass isn?t necessarily better in a boxing match. It can make a fighter?s reflexes slower which might prove detrimental to Marquez as his hand speed has always been a primary asset that allowed him to counter-punch freely with the Pacman.
At best, the increased bulk may probably help to cushion out the blows, but considering the damage that Manny wrought on leviathans like Antonio Margarito and Miguel Cotto, I don?t think extra muscle definition can help his cause at this point.
As Manny himself has proven many times before, a fighter doesn?t have to be bigger, just better.
Rather, it will be Marquez?s stamina that will serve his cause in this fight. Getting up after getting hurt badly and fighting back in the face of attrition is a JMM trademark. Now more than ever, he has to be resilient and durable.
What must Pacquiao do in order to win?
The Pacman is not the same fighter that Marquez fought three years ago. He is faster, stronger and has become exponentially better many times over.
You can?t argue with his wins over Ricky Hatton, Oscar de la Hoya, Cotto, Margarito and Shane Mosely.
In their first two encounters, Marquez has been able to match him punch for punch but it is in the power department that Manny reigns supreme.
Therefore, he has to be assertive from the get-go and dictate the tempo. Effective aggression is the key.
Letting Marquez feel his power from the start will be a key factor for him in winning this fight. If he starts off lackadaisically, he might let Marquez into the fight and develop the latter?s confidence leading up to the championship rounds.
This writer is of the belief that Manny can walk over Marquez at this weight. Giving him too much respect could be ruinous.
PREDICTIONS. Municipal Trial Court in Cities Executive Judge, Hon. Francisco Seville Jr., and Assistant Mandaue City Prosecutor Beivenido Mabanto: ?Pacquiao in five rounds or less.?
Atty. Boy ?Muhammad? Alo: ?Pacquiao in 8?
LAST ROUND. It?s on SHS-Ateneo de Cebu batch ?89?s best, Marcelino Co, who recently celebrated his birthday. Cheers!
