Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3: Why Rust Will Be the Death of Pac-Man

Manny Pacquiao hasn't fought in over six months, and that will ruin his chances of beating Juan Manuel Marquez this week.  This is the seventh-longest period without a fight in Pac-Man's career, with most of them coming in the past several years.

Pacquiao has been fighting for the last 17 years, and his lengthy career is beginning to wear him down. 

While he is only 32, he is in the decline of his career, and he shouldn't be taking long periods of time off.  By doing so he is getting rusty, and it would be better for him to fight every couple of months.

While Pacquiao's opponent, Juan Manuel Marquez, is actually six years older than him and in the twilight of his career, Marquez has fought within the last four months, giving him time to rest but not to become complacent.

Rust is the biggest issue for Pac-Man, and everyone is talking about it.

Pacquiao himself seems to be worried about being rusty, and he has changed his training to account for that.  Pacquiao has broken tradition by sparring on his first Monday in Los Angeles (where he trains for most fights).

Pac-Man has had this pattern for a very long time, and by changing it many experts have been wondering if he is trying to ward off the inevitable rust.

While Pacquiao and his staff seem content to tell the world that there is no rust and that he will be ready for the fight, we shall see for ourselves on Saturday night.

I foresee the rust slowing Pacquiao down in the first few rounds—the most important part of the match.

Juan Manuel Marquez has added about 10-15 pounds for this fight, and from recent photos it appears that most of that weight has been pure muscle.  Marquez is going to be very strong for this fight, and just about every punch he lands is going to be significant.

Marquez is going to be looking to end this fight early so that his questionable stamina won't become a factor.  He knows that he is getting old, and it is because of that that he must try to finish Pac-Man early.

Because Pacquiao is going to struggle with rust in the first few rounds, it will be easy for Marquez to push him around.  This will lead to an early end for the fight, and for Pacquiao.

Josh Schoch is an aspiring sportswriter dedicated to bringing you everything related to the Pacquiao vs. Marquez fight, college basketball, the NFL, MLB, NBA, college football and much more.  Follow him on Twitter.