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Three reasons Pacquiao-Marquez III is the wrong fight for Pacquiao
By Jake Emen
http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...ug=ycn-8496819
All signs are pointing to Manny Pacquiao facing Juan Manuel Marquez this fall in a rubber match. At the time of this writing, Marquez has accepted a formal offer from Top Rank. However, the fight is still not a done deal, because Golden Boy could interfere and present a matching offer to Marquez for another fight.
After giving Pacquiao all he could handle and then some over two previous encounters, Marquez is typically cited as one of the top opponents for Pacquiao. That's still true to an extent, although making the match now seems to leave something to be desired. Here are the top 3 reasons why Pacquiao vs. Marquez III is the wrong fight for Pacquiao at this stage in his career.
1. Following Floyd: Marquez would be Pacquiao's fourth opponent out of seven that Mayweather previously defeated within the past two or three fights. Mayweather defeated Oscar De La Hoya, stopped Ricky Hatton, and outclassed Shane Mosley before Pacquiao had his turn with each shortly thereafter. It's not a good trend.
Don't bother arguing that Mayweather followed Pacquiao by facing Marquez to begin with, either. Most objective analysts agree that Marquez defeated Pacquiao in their second meeting, not the other way around.
2. Pacquiao is a Real Welterweight: There's no denying it anymore, Pacquiao is a full-fledged welterweight, not a smaller fighter venturing up for a fight or two before moving back down. The only time we've seen Marquez above 135 lbs he was thrashed by Mayweather, and looked to be out of his element, both slow and small.
Marquez may have Pacquiao's number, but the number that matters for Pacquiao-Marquez III is 144, as in the proposed catchweight for the bout. It's just too much weight for Marquez, while Pacquiao has flourished and improved since his super featherweight and lightweight days a few years ago.
3. Time is Ticking: The time is ticking on Pacquiao's career as a boxer. With his blooming political career and a number of other diversions, Pacquiao likely only has a few fights left before he hangs up the gloves for good. The window when making Pacquiao-Marquez III was a fantastic fight has passed, and Pacquiao needs to face more significant opposition before his days in the squared circle are over.
Pacquiao vs. Marquez III isn't a bad fight—it has a degree of meaning and intrigue, and Marquez has been clamoring for this opportunity since their second fight concluded, which are all good things.
If you want a bad fight, his last three against Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey all qualify. That's part of the problem, the string of less than stellar opponents for Pacquiao has been getting long in the past few years.
There might only be a few better choices for opponents in the world, but now's the time to see Pacquiao face one of those guys, as opposed to wasting another six months of his career on a fight whose outcome is entirely predictable the very second that the fight is signed and sealed.
By Jake Emen
http://sports.yahoo.com/box/news;_yl...ug=ycn-8496819
All signs are pointing to Manny Pacquiao facing Juan Manuel Marquez this fall in a rubber match. At the time of this writing, Marquez has accepted a formal offer from Top Rank. However, the fight is still not a done deal, because Golden Boy could interfere and present a matching offer to Marquez for another fight.
After giving Pacquiao all he could handle and then some over two previous encounters, Marquez is typically cited as one of the top opponents for Pacquiao. That's still true to an extent, although making the match now seems to leave something to be desired. Here are the top 3 reasons why Pacquiao vs. Marquez III is the wrong fight for Pacquiao at this stage in his career.
1. Following Floyd: Marquez would be Pacquiao's fourth opponent out of seven that Mayweather previously defeated within the past two or three fights. Mayweather defeated Oscar De La Hoya, stopped Ricky Hatton, and outclassed Shane Mosley before Pacquiao had his turn with each shortly thereafter. It's not a good trend.
Don't bother arguing that Mayweather followed Pacquiao by facing Marquez to begin with, either. Most objective analysts agree that Marquez defeated Pacquiao in their second meeting, not the other way around.
2. Pacquiao is a Real Welterweight: There's no denying it anymore, Pacquiao is a full-fledged welterweight, not a smaller fighter venturing up for a fight or two before moving back down. The only time we've seen Marquez above 135 lbs he was thrashed by Mayweather, and looked to be out of his element, both slow and small.
Marquez may have Pacquiao's number, but the number that matters for Pacquiao-Marquez III is 144, as in the proposed catchweight for the bout. It's just too much weight for Marquez, while Pacquiao has flourished and improved since his super featherweight and lightweight days a few years ago.
3. Time is Ticking: The time is ticking on Pacquiao's career as a boxer. With his blooming political career and a number of other diversions, Pacquiao likely only has a few fights left before he hangs up the gloves for good. The window when making Pacquiao-Marquez III was a fantastic fight has passed, and Pacquiao needs to face more significant opposition before his days in the squared circle are over.
Pacquiao vs. Marquez III isn't a bad fight—it has a degree of meaning and intrigue, and Marquez has been clamoring for this opportunity since their second fight concluded, which are all good things.
If you want a bad fight, his last three against Mosley, Antonio Margarito and Joshua Clottey all qualify. That's part of the problem, the string of less than stellar opponents for Pacquiao has been getting long in the past few years.
There might only be a few better choices for opponents in the world, but now's the time to see Pacquiao face one of those guys, as opposed to wasting another six months of his career on a fight whose outcome is entirely predictable the very second that the fight is signed and sealed.
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