Against Marquez, Pacquiao gunning for ‘3rd win’

By Al S. Mendoza

MANNY Pacquiao versus Juan Manuel Marquez – again?

Seemingly, only Marquez remains the only palatable, saleable, fight left for Pacman.

Look, Shane Mosley was Pacquiao’s foe the last time out because Mosley was the owner of three world titles.

Other than that, Mosley had no more credentials left in him when he clinched the 5$-million farce of a fight with Pacquiao.

Because Mosley mostly danced out of harm’s way against Pacquiao, he lost all 12 rounds in that Vegas sham and the world now knows him as Shameful Shame Mosley.

Well, at 39, what can we expect from Mosley?

You just don’t pit an old dog against a pit bull of a fighter like Pacquiao.

And now, Marquez.

Marquez is 36, Pacquiao 32.

Despite his age, Marquez remains at his strongest at 135 lb.

Pacquiao has grown to 147 lb – and still remains a tectonic, tsunami, force as he is world champ at that weight.

The one time that Marquez fought beyond 140 lb, against the incomprehensible Floyd Mayweather Jr., he fared so badly and lost. The experts said he should remain at 135 lb.

Thus, if Marquez finally clinches the one dream fight against Pacquiao, he might struggle as, surely, the bout will be at 140-lb plus.

Many still insist that Marquez can defeat Pacquiao.

I also buy that idea – but not entirely, though.

True, Pacquiao struggled against Marquez in their 2008 rematch, earning a mere split decision victory over the Mexican dubbed The Dynamite.

But a win is a win is a win is a win.

Pacquiao saved that fight by decking Marquez in the third round.

Actually, with that victory, Pacquiao, in effect, had validated what many believed was a won-fight in their first bout.

That was in 2004, when Pacquiao knocked Marquez down three times in the first round – only for Pacquiao to shockingly see the fight end in a draw.

After the result was announced, one of the three judges in that fight admitted he had erred.

Instead of a 10-6 score in Round 1, he recorded 10-7.  That led to a draw instead of a split decision win for Pacquiao.

In boxing, you can never change the scores.  Right or wrong, they stay.

But, technically, because of that judge’s mistake, Pacquiao is 2-0 over Marquez.

So, if there should be a third fight, Pacquiao is, in a sense, gunning for his third win against Marquez.

Needless to say, I pick Pacquiao to beat Marquez – my same stand the first two times they fought.

Pacquiao has become too comfortable at 140-plus lb but not Marquez.

This early, I see a knockout win – for Pacquiao.

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