Pacquiao vs. Marquez 24/7: HBO Series Will Be More Captivating Than Fight Itself

For a boxing fan, little is more compelling than HBO's 24/7 series. The series follows boxers ahead of their fights in order to see how they are preparing, and what their thoughts are in terms of their opponent and how the fight will play out.

Essentially, every big fight is chronicled by 24/7, and that will be no different for the bout between WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12. This particular fight is highly anticipated, especially as some believe a Pacquiao win could lead to a match with Floyd Mayweather.

While Marquez has fought Pacquiao to a draw and lost controversially on a split decision in the past, this fight simply doesn't have the appeal it once did. While Marquez continues to win, he is getting up there in age and simply isn't at the level he was when he last fought Pacquiao three years ago.

Pacquiao is considered by the vast majority of pundits to be the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, and because of that I think he will have little issue dispatching of Marquez in their third, and likely final, meeting.

Some boxing fans may be happy to simply marvel at the greatness of Pacquiao in the ring, but I would rather see a competitive fight. Not only do I think that Pacquiao will win easily, but this is a fight that we have already seen twice—so there is little to keep us interested.

At the very least, 24/7 should do a good job building up to the fight, though. It is always entertaining to see the boxers in their natural environments, rather than inside the ring. When watching a fight, most people probably aren't thinking about what type of personality a fighter has—but 24/7 helps to showcase that type of thing.

Pacquiao is a bit of a character in his own right, so 24/7 is sure to be must-see television for any boxing fan. At the very least, some may want to see how Pacquiao carries himself outside the ring in order to form an opinion in case a Pacquiao/Mayweather fight does happen.

With Pacquiao/Mayweather looming large, Pacquiao/Marquez stands little chance of impressing the viewers. Pacquiao is a heavy favorite and nobody expects him to lose, so the only thing that can save the fight at this point is if Marquez finds a way to pull out the upset.

At the same time, that would be bad for boxing since it would kill Pacquiao/Mayweather for all intents and purposes. Essentially, as long as Pacquiao beats Marquez, the fight is likely to flop since everybody knows what to expect.

If you have lukewarm interest in the fight, then 24/7 will give you your fill, while saving you the money you would spent to order a predictable pay-per-view.