Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez: Marquez's 10 Best Knockout Victories

Manny Pacquiao is the heavy betting favorite against his closest rival, Juan Manuel Marquez. But why?

Is it the weight class? Pacquiao has dominated welterweight and Marquez has flopped in the one match he's had at welterweight.

Is it Pacquiao's recent impressive win streak?

Whatever the reason, consider it invalid. Marquez has been and will continue to be an action-packed knockout extraordinaire.

For nearly twenty years, Marquez has shuffled brains and rocked heads with neck-breaking left hooks and right uppercuts.

For those who don't believe in the power of Marquez, B/R presents Marquez's Ten Best Knockouts in His Career.

10. Marquez Channels Billy Idol, Shows Fletcher How To Dance to the Canvas

It's 2001 and Marquez is fighting like it's 1980, rocking freshly dyed blond hair as if channeling the spirit of Billy Idol.

Sean Fletcher wasn't a particularly special opponent, but Marquez's beatdown of him was very spectacular.

Marquez left Fletcher "Dancing" with himself on the canvas twice in Round 7 before being finished off with a big flurry. Though the blond hair would never return, it was fun to see in this fight.

9. Marquez Makes Johnny Be Good with a 1st-Round Knockout

Marquez stepped into the ring October 2001 against Johnny Walker, an opponent only there to make Marquez look good. Instead, Marquez looked great. A right hook put Walker down.

Walker got up and then went to sleep with another right to the jaw. Walker rolled over, tried to pull on the referee to get up, but flopped back down like a fish out of water. Impressive show of power for Marquez.

8. Marquez Comes Back from a Big Loss with a Big TKO over Jandaeng

2006 saw Marquez suffer his first loss in seven years by unanimous decision to WBA featherweight world champion Chris John. Marquez needed a comeback victory and he got one in Terdsak Jandaeng.

Jandaeng is a 25-year-old southpaw from Bangkok, Thailand who had only suffered one knockdown heading into the Marquez fight.

Despite Marquez being eight years older, he made easy work out of Jandaeng, handing him a knockdown in both Rounds 2 and 6 with the right uppercut before unleashing a head-bobbing flurry in Round 7 that prompted the referee to end the fight.

7. Marquez Sits Jaca Down with a Left Hook

2006, Marquez defends his WBO featherweight interim title against Jimrex Jaca, a 23-year-old Filipino with speed and heart but not much else.

Marquez at 33 years old, looked slow next to Jaca's blurring punching combos, but Marquez's ability to throw the right shots to win during their exchanges began to show up with each passing round.

Round 8 was a big turning point as Marquez was "accidentally" headbutted, resulting in a profuse flow of blood.

Marquez cried foul, the referee ignored him. They were told to box. In an effort to turn the fight around, Marquez turned up the heat with combinations galore. Jaca followed suit with his own combos.

Round 9 became the point where Marquez was ready to put Jaca to bed. Jaca came in looking strong, but a left hook from Marquez floored Jaca out of nowhere.

Jaca obviously didn't see the punch, as his facial expression showed confusion as he sat on his rear end and allowed himself to be counted out.

6. Marquez Makes Peden Vomit Blood

March 2002, Robbie Peden came into the ring sick for his IBF featherweight (126 lbs) world title eliminator against Marquez...bad idea.

Marquez unloaded accurate flurries on Peden over the course of 10 rounds. Peden fought back as well as a decent slugger like himself could, but Marquez was catching him far more than he caught Marquez.

After the 10th round, Peden vomited a mixture of vomit and blood into a bucket and his corner stopped the fight. This victory led Marquez to win his first world title nearly a year later.

5. Marquez Shows His Heart and Stops Katsidis after Being Knocked Down

Michael Katsidis was determined to win this fight for his brother who lost his life a month before he was scheduled to face Marquez.

In Katsidis, Marquez faced a dedicated foe with something to prove. Katsidis sent Marquez to the canvas with a vicious left hook. Marquez got up, dusted himself off, and went to work trying to show he was in charge.

Marquez slowly but surely took the fight from Katsidis with close-quarters back-and-forth fighting. Exchanges were long and ferocious. Both fighters' heads were rocked repeatedly, but Katsidis stopped answering Marquez's punches in Round 9, prompting referee Kenny Bayless to stop the fight.

The effort was impressive from Katsidis, which forced Marquez to up his game to the elite level only a fighter of his caliber could bring.

4. Marquez Cuts Down Molina in Title Defense

Molina is a contender that had never been knocked out. Marquez changed that August 2003. In his first match after winning the featherweight world title, Marquez wanted to impress and he did.

His most impressive moment was his jaw-rocking uppercut that put Molina down in Round 8.

Though the fight was eventually stopped by the corner after Round 9 because of a cut, they really were just afraid of suffering any more of a beatdown than Marquez had already given.

3. Marquez Closes Medina's Eye with a 3-Piece Combo, Hold the Fries

In the late 1990's, Marquez was on the cusp of stardom. He was a mandatory challenger for WBO featherweight world champion Naseem Hamed for two years, before he moved on to chasing IBF champ Medina.

Medina wasn't a great puncher, but he was far more experienced with over 70 fights by the time he faced Marquez, who had 41 by comparison.

Marquez dominated, knocking Medina down in Round 2. Medina got up and started to turn the fight around in Round 6 only to be knocked down again in Round 7.

Though Medina got up, referee Robert Byrd had Medina's eye looked at by the doctor who didn't need to look long before she shook her head and told them the fight was over. Marquez won his first world title.

2. Marquez Teaches a Youngster Named Diaz a Lesson in the Ring

Though a younger fighter has youth on his side, an older fighter's experience can result in the nullification of youth's minute promise.

Marquez and Juan Diaz participated in a lightweight clash like no other. Both are Mexican fighters that traded punches in the ring, but Marquez's educated punches began to show up in Round 8.

Diaz was cut, displaying a crimson mask that he had to carry with him into Round 9. Marquez put Diaz down twice en route to handing Diaz the first and only knockout loss of his career.

1. Marquez Wins His Lightweight World Title by Knocking Out Casamayor

Casamayor had never been knocked out before. Marquez changed everything with a flurry to Casamayor's face that dropped him in Round 11. Casamayor got up, but Marquez pressed the attack.

Seconds later, Casamayor became good friends with the canvas and referee Tony Weeks waived the fight off, having seen Casamayor take too much damage.

Marquez became lightweight (135 lbs) world champion, allowing Marquez to join a small club of world title holders who have held world titles in at least three divisions.