Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank
Heading into his third bout with Manny Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez is hard at work at the Romanza Gym in Mexico City, where he prepares for the fight he’s been waiting for since dropping a disputed split decision to Pacquiao in 2008.
The rematch heads back to the MGM Grand – the scene of their first encounter in 2004, which ended in a draw.
“We know that this is a difficult fight and we have to train very hard for it, and although I feel I’ve beaten him two times, I know Pacquiao has improved a lot since those two fights,†said Marquez after a recent training session.
Since the loss to Pacquiao, Marquez has gone 5-1 with 4 knockouts, showing his dominance in the ring as lightweight champion, but faltered when he moved up to welterweight against the comebacking Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2009.
Those that see Pacquiao winning the rubber match handily, point to how slow and ineffective Marquez looked in the ring against Mayweather that night, with Marquez coming in at a career-high 142 pounds, while Mayweather tipped the scales at 146.
“This fight will be at a higher weight than what I’m used to but for that reason, I have incorporated two doctors to my team, as I want to be strong for this fight, but without losing my speed, which will be key to winning the fight,†acknowledged Marquez.
In his fight with Mayweather, Marquez was lethargic and slow with his punches; something rarely seen at 135-pounds. However, Marquez also knows that his counter-punching style is more effective against an offensive fighter like Pacquiao. Mayweather on the other hand, forced Marquez to lead, as he delivered his own counter-punching strategy.
“I’ve waited a long time for this third fight with Pacquiao and I feel I did enough in our two fights to win, but I wasn’t given the decision. This time, I’m not going to leave any doubts about my triumph,†added Marquez.
Their first encounter saw Marquez floored three times in the opening round, before miraculously getting up arguably dominating a better portion of the fight. Â Ultimately, the three knockdowns cost Marquez a win, leaving with a draw and his featherweight titles.
When the two met again at lightweight, the fight was more closely contested, but again, it was Pacquiao who would put Marquez down on the canvas, this time once in the third round. Â That the split decision went in Pacquiao’s favor, again showed that Marquez finding himself flat on his back would be the deciding factor. Â He’ll need to remain on his feet this time around, if he aims to win a decision.
And yet, it’s no secret that although the two have fought tooth-and-nail with each other, it’s Pacquiao whose shown he’s capable of bringing his speed and power to a higher weight class. As Marquez states, his hopes that his medical team can help him gain weight while retaining his abilities will be a major factor, and whether he’ll be able to do it or not remains to be seen.
Regardless, one can only expect another entertaining bout between two fierce rivals.
