Pacquiao vs. Marquez: Pac-Man Must Destroy Dinamita to Avoid Mayweather Backlash

Nobody will be cheering harder for Juan Manuel Marquez to pull off an upset against Manny Pacquiao on Saturday night than Floyd Mayweather Jr. Anything other than a dominating performance from Pac-Man will allow Pretty Boy to tiptoe around the ballyhooed mega-fight once again.

Fans have implored the sport's two biggest superstars to go head-to-head. The sides haven't been able to reach an agreement, however. That's mostly because Mayweather has insisted on an Olympic-style drug testing program leading up to the fight. While the Pacquiao camp will say it's simply a stalling tactic to stop the fight from happening, Mayweather's promoters insist he's just trying to ensure a fair fight. Either way, it's depriving boxing from a match that could rejuvenate the sport.

If there's any hope for the bout to finally materialize, both men must continue to win with relative ease. Money did just that against Victor Ortiz in September, even though the ending was controversial. Now it's Pac-Man's turn to hold serve.

He's fought Marquez twice before. The two fought to a draw in 2004, and Pacquiao picked up a split-decision victory in 2008. He'll need to be much more impressive inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday to avoid a Mayweather smear campaign.

Money has a perfect 42-0 record in his professional career, and he knows it would be in serious peril if he stepped inside the ring with the Filipino congressman. So, while he might say he's afraid of nobody, his actions say otherwise. If Pacquiao gives him more ammo by doing anything less than picking up a convincing win, the chances of a fight occurring will probably drop dramatically.

Pacquiao is a huge favorite (-800 according to Bodog), so it shouldn't be a problem. However, Dinamita has been able to stick with him like few other fighters have.

That said, look for the Fighting Pride of the Philippines to come out with a purpose on Saturday and leave no doubt that he's the best pound-for-pound boxer in the world.