Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan M Marquez: 5 Reasons This Is the Best Option for Pacman

After getting past Shane Mosley in his most recent encounter at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Manny Pacquiao announced he is facing Juan Manuel Marquez in November, his second scheduled fight this year.

Pacquiao's announcement was recently validated when Marquez signed the fight contract earlier submitted by Bob Arum, Chairman of Top Rank Promotions, the company that handles and promotes Pacquiao's fights.

The proposed fight however cannot be declared as official until after July 16 when Marquez is declared winner in a tune up match against lightweight David Diaz or whoever he chooses as his next opponent. 

Latest news say Diaz and Marquez cannot agree on purse sharing which now makes the fight uncertain.

Still the fight set for November 12 at the MGM Grand is almost a certainty provided Marquez register a win on his tune-up fight.

With the fight almost in the bag, boxing fans have started criticizing Pacquiao's choice of opponent for his next fight. They are divided on the choice of Marquez as shown on recent online opinion polls. But majority of respondents say Marquez is the right choice, considering the limited number of worthy opponents.

Here are five reasons this fight is the best option for Manny Pacquiao on his November 12 scheduled fight in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Unfinished Business

Pacquiao and Marquez fought twice, the first ended in a draw while Pacquiao won the second fight via split decision. Marquez claims he won in both fights but was cheated in the scoreboards and blamed the judges for incompetence. 

Although some fans disagree he was cheated as he claimed, a good number of these fans believe he might have won on points in both fights despite suffering at least four knockdowns.

Marquez is Competitive

In the shortlist presented by Bob Arum for Pacquiao' choice of opponents for his last fight, Marquez was No. 2 in the list but Pacquiao chose Mosley on Arum's endorsement.

Aside from his branded counter punching skill, Marquez does not run away and he is known to engage opponents toe-to-toe. Fans love it and certainly it won't be a boring fight.

Fight is Easy to Sell

Marquez has millions of Mexicans supporting him every time he enters the ring. Likewise Manny Pacquiao has a large Mexican fan base who are ready to support the fight. Mexicans simply love these two great boxers.

Outside of Mexico, Pacquiao and Marquez are no strangers. And they know the guys have a long-standing feud which needs to be settled. 

Wish Granted

Marquez has waited almost four years and has crossed the Pacific to beg Pacquiao almost with folded hands and bended knees for a third fight and another crack at the current pound-for-pound king.

It would be a wish granted for Marquez and great feeling for Pacquiao to have made that wish possible after eight years of ring rivalry. 

Best Option

As Manny Pacquiao runs out of worthy opponents in the welterweight division, Marquez presents the best option for Pacquiao's November fight schedule.

Few fighters in the welterweight division were mentioned including Tim Bradley, Zab Judah, Victor Ortiz and Andre Berto from which Pacquiao and Arum can choose from. But each has his own limitation and restrictions which could affect the fight's viability in terms of financial returns.

In the case of Bradley, aside from his poor showing during his recent fight against Devon Alexander, he is still under contract with his promoter and for him to land a fight with Pacquiao, he needs to join Top Rank's stable. Zab Judah is a possibility but he has already lost to some of Pacquiao's past victims and the fight may not sell.

Andre Berto has exposed himself to avid boxing fans during his fight with Ortiz. It was his first loss and he looked really uncompetitive after the fight. He became a natural contender to Pacquiao before he was trashed by Ortiz but he may not look competitive now.

Victor Ortiz has indicated he won't face Pacquiao out of respect and for giving him some tutorials before going up against Andre Berto.

Sergio Martinez is a good option but he is up there in the middleweight level and does not intend to go down to Pacquiao's desired fighting weight of 147.

Of course Floyd Mayweather Jr is still the best option but he is in hibernation and fans can't wait until he's done.