Pacquiao vs Marquez: 3 Reasons Each Fighter Could Win

Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez are set to square off in their third fight on Saturday, and either of them could win.  It's going to be an interesting fight with both of these competitors changing their training methods because they are so acclimated to each other.

Forget about the first two fights, this third one is an entirely different monster, and it's anyone's fight.  These are the reasons it could go either way.

Why Marquez can win: Pacquiao will be rusty

Pac-Man has not fought in over six months, approaching seven, and he will be rusty for this fight.  A long fighting career has left Pacquiao in a state where he should not be taking long periods of time off because he will be rusty.

Pacquiao has even changed his training to avoid rust by sparring a day earlier than usual.

Pacquiao will come out of the gates slowly, and if he can't get into a rhythm before Marquez uses his muscle to land a few good punches then Marquez can cruise to an early victory.

Why Pacquiao can win: He has never been angry before

Of all of the fights Pacquiao has been involved in this is the first one that there appears to have animosity.  These two fighters have a history that includes a lot of bad blood, and Pacquiao will be looking to silence Marquez.

If Pacquiao has been this successful when he has not been angry, it will be interesting to see just how well he will fight when he is.

Why Marquez can win: Pacquiao will be angry

We've never seen Pac-Man angry during a fight, and while being angry helps most athletes, it may hurt him.

If Pacquiao comes into this fight blinded by rage and is overly aggressive he could leave himself open for Marquez to land some solid punches with that newfound muscle.  If that happens we could see Pacquiao on the canvas in the first few rounds.

Why Pacquiao can win: Marquez is getting old

We all know that this could potentially be the last hurrah for Marquez.  He is 38-years-old and is in the twilight of his career.

Marquez does not have the stamina he once did, so Pacquiao will be trying to wear him down.  If this fight goes into the sixth or seventh round, Pacquiao will be able to take over and win.

Why Marquez can win: He has gained a lot of muscle

Marquez had to gain a lot of weight for this fight, and most of it has been muscle.  That means that all of his punches will be significant.

If Marquez can land a few good punches in the early round he will be able to throw Pacquiao off, and therefore gain an edge.

Why Pacquiao can win: Marquez had to gain weight

Marquez has had to gain a lot of weight for this fight (roughly 10-15 pounds to be exact).  He is now the heaviest he has ever been for a fight, and that bodes well for Pac-Man.

The last time Marquez had to add a lot of weight for a fight was when he fought Floyd Mayweather.  Marquez looked slow in that fight and he lost via unanimous decision: 120-107, 119-108, 118-109.

Marquez has gained a lot of muscle for this fight, but it will go to waste if he can't land punches on Pacquiao, and it doesn't look like he will be able to do so.

This fight could go either way, but here's my breakdown:

• If the fight ends early: Marquez will probably be the winner.  Pacquiao will come out slow, and if Marquez can use that muscle to knock out Pac-Man early, he won't have to worry about his declining stamina.

• If the fight goes the distance: Pacquiao will be the winner.  As I mentioned, Marquez does not have the same stamina that he once did. If Pacquiao can extend the fight then he will surely win.

• If the fight is not a knockout: There will still be controversy over who the better fighter is.  If Marquez wins, the series is tied 1-1-1. iIf Pacquiao wins, Marquez will undoubtedly talk about how he was robbed of the victory for the third time.

Anyway you shape it this is going to be one of the most interesting fights we've seen, and it could set up a mega-fight with Mayweather for the winner.

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.