Manny Pacquiao: Marquez's “Genius” Won't Stop Pac-Man from Knocking Him out

Manny Pacquiao called his Nov. 12 opponent, Juan Manuel Marquez, “the smartest guy I have fought recently,” but he will still drop Marquez when they square off on Saturday.

Martin Rogers of Yahoo Sports reported Pacquiao has a lot of positive things to say about his opponent, but he insists that no pre-fight tactic will curb his intent to dominate in the ring.

“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.”

Mark my words: Pacquiao will put Marquez out of the fight for good with a two-punch combo in the Round 7.

Pac-Man has recently had a string of fights that have gone the distance, causing people to doubt his ability to knock out Marquez. However, Pacquiao is one of the most highly respected fighters in the sport. He has 38 knockouts in his career, with his last being in November of 2009.

Anyone that doubts Pacquiao’s ability to end the fight with a crushing blow is extremely misguided. This is a guy who has been named the “Godfather” of boxing by Newsweek, so he has a legacy to protect.

He, of all people, knows what boxing fans are looking for.

“I know what people want from me in the future and what they want to see now. They want to see me knock out Marquez because it is exciting for boxing when there are knockouts.”

Watch the fight, but keep a close eye on the fire in Pac-Man’s eyes. He’ll be looking to finish the fight if Marquez gives him any opening, no matter how slight.