Will Pacquiao Vs Marquez III Be Among The Great Boxing Trilogies?
On Saturday, November 12th, Juan Manuel Marquez will face Manny Pacquiao for the third time at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV, to prove once and for all who is the better fighter. Their first two fights were super close (a draw in 2004 and Pacquiao earned a razor thin split decision in 2008) and there is a possibility the third fight could eclipse their first two epic battles. It’s rather difficult to pull off a trio of great fights considering all of the variables. Obviously, timing is the biggest factor. Usually when fighters meet more than once, there is a distinct possibility one fighter could see his skills decline while the other is still on the rise. In this case, Pacquiao is a much different fighter in terms of skills and size. When they first met, Pacquiao was more or less a one-handed fighter who relied more on his natural ability than anything else. Today, Pacquiao has climbed and earned titles in several higher weight classes while developing a monster right hand to go along with his devastating left. He’s become a world beater of sorts as he’s handed out thorough beatdowns to the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Miguel Cotto and Ricky Hatton.
That’s not to say Marquez isn’t a great fighter. He’s had his fair share of victories since losing to Pacquiao in 2008. He’s gone on to win titles at lightweight but didn’t fare so well when he bumped up in weight to face Floyd Mayweather. Marquez lost a lopsided decision but has been successful against the likes of Juan Diaz Michael Katsidis and Joel Casamayor.
Pacquiao’s size and power advantages presumably won’t factor simply because Marquez appears to be Pacquiao’s kryptonite. They both seem tailor made for each other and destined for another great fight. Could they end up adding their names to the wall of incredible trilogies that includes Ali vs. Frazier, Bowe vs. Holyfield, Gatti vs. Ward and Marquez vs. Barrera?
We’ll have to wait and see.
