Pacquiao vs. Marquez: Pac-Man's Reputation Will Remain Stout After Marquez Bout

You never can have a boxing match without a good guy and a bad guy. It seems these days you can't have an epic bout without Manny Pacquiao. Those two notions collide just one week before he is to fight Juan Manuel Marquez. 

News hit that Juan Manuel Marquez was much closer to steroids than we would have ever thought. The New York Daily News reported this week that Angel Hernandez, Marquez's trainer, was indeed the same man that gave Marion Jones and Tim Montgomery banned substances. 

Before we continue, let's state that Marquez is not the villain here. The connotation is that Pacquiao now has to dodge questions on doping and has himself been accused of such treachery. 

However, Pac-Man continues to prove himself clean at every turn. In fact, he is forever celebrated while his looming adversary is admonished. I am of course talking about Floyd Mayweather. To talk about him, we have to ensure that Pacquiao get out of this fight with a win. 

I am confident that we will see one of the most fit versions of Pacquiao to date. The man has been killing himself in training and will be prepared for any surprises Marquez may have. After a victory, Pacquiao will be the hero in the classic play unfolding between him and Mayweather. 

For evidence of this, you only have to witness the kind of week the two are having. Here is footage taken from Pacquiao on Jimmy Kimmel's show. The mood is light and celebratory. 

Here is the audio from Mayweather being called out for ducking Pacquiao. Mayweather is defensive about how he is being perceived, and I don't blame him. 

There is only one clear "good guy" in boxing and that is Manny Pacquiao. Whether that is true or not is for another article. What is clear is that a couple weeks from now, Pacquiao will still be a hero facing a possible villain in Mayweather.