Pacquiao vs. Marquez: How Newest Chapter in Rivalry Will Play out

On December 8th, you can book it, the epic fourth installment of Manny vs. Marquez won't be going to the scoring table if either of these fighter's have their way. 

The fourth installment of their thrilling saga will obviously feature Marquez dying to finally notch a win against Pacquiao, but we’re also going to see Manny focused on finishing the fight before it goes to the scorer’s table.

Pacquiao edged his way to victory last time against Marquez, but can he afford to scrape by with a decision victory this time? Freddie Roach, his trainer, is among those that don’t think so:

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I need to get Manny to get that killer instinct back ... To be pound-for-pound the best fighter in the world, I think we need to knock this guy out. I don't think we'll win a decision regardless of how the fight goes.

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From his words alone, it's glaringly obvious what the game-plan is going to be for Pacquiao: do whatever it takes to get a knockout.

Does this mean we're going to see Marquez try to grind out a decision? If his words are any indication, probably not:

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There is no way that I can let this fight be a decision, because if I do, everyone knows what will happen. That's because the judges aren't doing their jobs, so I need to train very hard to get the knockout [against Manny].

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So interestingly enough, we're poised to have an all-out slugfest with both competitors just as afraid of a decision as their respective counterpart. Just as Pacquiao is wary of past decisions, so too is Marquez.

So despite the fierce talk from both sides, who will reign victorious in Episode IV of Manny versus Juan?

You have to give the edge to Pacquiao. Despite Marquez's poise and hunger, look for Manny to come out and finish the fight early in a convincing fashion.