Pacquiao vs. Marquez: Memories of First 2 Fights Will Be Gone with Pac-Man Win

The first two fights between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez were close. They were genuinely two of the best fights of the last 10 years.

The first was a draw, while the second was a split decision win from Pacquiao. While that's not the resume that Pacquiao has against most of his opponents, it's still a 1-0-1 mark, which isn't bad when you consider how good Marquez actually is.

But what happened in those fights? Did Marquez get lucky to be that close? Was Pacquiao lucky to escape with a split decision win and draw? Well, as is the case with nearly any boxing match that makes it to the judges, that greatly depends on the perspective of the individual observer. 

But, after Pacquiao and Marquez do battle for a third time, there will be little to no doubt that Pacquiao is the better of the two fighters.

I am not saying that he'll win via knockout, Pacquiao doesn't have a great history of knockouts. Actually, that's not a huge a part of boxing outside of the heavyweight division, although it's always a possibility. 

No, I expect Pacquiao to spend the first half of the fight developing a clear points lead to anyone watching the fight. In the first six rounds, look for Pacquiao to win at least four. From that point on, he can sit back, avoid a knockout punch from Marquez, and be the very clear victor. 

There will be no doubt when this one is over that Pacquiao was the better fighter on the evening, and the better fighter overall. The rivalry will go from a close one that gave a slight edge to Pacquiao, to a pretty one-sided affair, also favoring Pacquiao.

This one will not be as dramatic or debatable as the first two fights. Marquez certainly has a chance to beat Pacquiao, and it's better than just a typical puncher's chance. 

Still, I would be very surprised if that actually happened. Pacquiao is just too good. More importantly, given their history, there is absolutely no way that Pacquiao will overlook Marquez.