He said last week, ?I would rather fight Pacquiao three or four more times than fight Mayweather.? When fighting at 142, Marquez lost a 12-round decision to Floyd Maywether Jr, in September of 2009. Ever since he has had his eyes on Pacquiao again and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum gave him what he wanted.
And no matter what Marquez does Saturday night on HBO Pay-Per-View, from the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, he already has achieved boxing history as one of five Mexicans to have won world titles in three different weight divisions. Erick Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Julio Cesar Chavez and Fernando Montiel are the others.
But if the results go to Marquez in this trilogy, well he cements himself more into boxing history. More so because he would have defeated Pacquiao, though he will have to be the harder puncher and counter a right from the champion that from all reports has been perfected.
To that right of Pacquiao, Marquez has said, ?It is going to be tough. But you have to know when to do it and how to do it,? referring of course to this being a different strategy for the third fight. And at 38-years of age, Marquez is aware that this is his defining moment and more of an important fight than the previous two. Marquez firmly believes he prevailed in the previous fights with Pacquiao, but the draw and decision did not go his way.
Marquez has always had the power and the speed, and so does Pacquiao, so he needs to be as quick and powerful. In his fight with Michael Katsidis in November of 2010, a TKO win in the ninth round, he was dropped in the round three. He came right back and went to work. Many would say that was a defining moment, even better than the fights with Pacquiao. But Marquez will dispute that because he always believes the fights with Pacquiao should have seen a different result. Now a few days before the fight he thought would never happen, Marquez has been reserved, quiet, and ready for the showdown.
