Pacquiao vs. Marquez: Filipino's Rival Isn't as Nice as Pacquiao Claims

Leading up the third and final fight between rivals Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, Pacquiao has called Marquez a "genius" for his "nice guy" image.

But Marquez isn't as nice a guy as Pacquiao has us all thinking.

Said Pacquiao, via Yahoo! Sports:

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“Marquez is the smartest guy I have fought recently. He is a genius. You know why? It is because he is trying to use my personality. He knows I am a nice person, so he thinks that if he is very nice and respectful to me before the fight then I will go easy on him and will not knock him out.

“It is very smart. But I am smarter than him because I know what he is trying to do.”

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Am I missing something here? Hasn't Marquez been claiming for years that he won both fights, even though the official scorecards gave the bouts to Pacquiao? Heck, he even wore a T-shirt to the Philippines reading, "I beat Pacquiao twice."

In fact, trainer Freddie Roach already came out and said Pacquiao felt slighted by Marquez's actions.

Said Roach, via the Malaya Business Insight:

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"That was a slap in the face of Manny. Manny’s definitely extra motivated in this fight."

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I understand the pre-fight promotion hasn't carried the same drama (or insanity) as Mayweather vs.Ortiz, but I'm very confused by Pacquiao's words. He's been saying that he wants to end the rivalry in dramatic fashion in part because of Marquez's words.

Pacquiao has become a better promoter than he ever was.

Known as a "nice guy" himself with a soft-spoken demeanor, Pacquiao has never been one to ramp up a fight. Since this could be his last great fight (fingers crossed for Pacquiao-Mayweather), maybe Pacquiao turned aggressor before the fight for once.

If this is the case, it amuses me. It amuses me that Pacquiao would take a page from Mayweather's book in another one of his career-defining fights.

Pacquiao is calling Marquez a genius, but maybe it is Pacquiao who is the true genius for adding more fuel to the fire.