Pacquiao Marquez 24/7: Best Hype Machine in Sports Starts Again with HBO's 24/7

If Boxing is going to survive as a sport, it will need a lot more shows and marketing tools like HBO's 24/7. Another batch of great programming is guaranteed to pique your interest as Manny Pacquiao features this Saturday. 

If you are a fan of boxing you are already keyed into the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez bout on November 12th. The third in what has been a fine trilogy will have pugilist aficionados buzzing. 

The real chore is getting borderline fans to commit a good amount of money to a pay-per-view event that will fail to live up to the hype. 

Granted, Pacquiao and Marquez were near identical in talent and poise, but that was a few years ago. Since their last bout in 2008, Pac-Man has hit another level of boxing. 

His defense is impenetrable, and his speed is otherworldly. Boxing fans knows this but will order the fight merely to see the marvel that is Manny. 

The other portion of orders will come from those captivated by the four-part series that engages from the very start. HBO's 24/7 offers a behind the scenes glimpse of the boxer's training sessions. 

The next installment of hype begins on Saturday on HBO 10 p.m. ET/PT. The teaser for the series is enough to illustrate the gravitas with which the fight is presented. 

Every single fight is shown as a must win, no holds barred clash of titans. You can expect that Juan Manuel Marquez will be painted as the only man that can derail the magnificent run Pacquiao is enjoying at the time being. 

Pacquiao will be shown as the only must-see fighter of this era. That may be the only sentiment that I can get on board with. 

The show is done with excellent quality and engaging subplots that every other reality series could only dream to produce. 

In real terms, this bout is a far cry from the battle we crave in Pacquiao vs. Mayweather, but you wouldn't know it by the time the series is over. 

HBO's grand series is nothing more than a teaser to the main event, something to whet your appetite. I would normally decry such facades, but I enjoy the show too much to find anything wrong with it. 

Also, I can't fault anything that brings more fans to the ring, something the myriad of commissions and organizations have failed to do.