Pacquiao vs. Marquez: Why This Fight Has More Appeal Than Pacquiao-Mayweather

The hoopla is endless but so is the unfulfilled hype. Pacquiao vs. Mayweather may never happen, so it’s about time the world had some appreciation for Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao. 

No, this match doesn’t offer the cache of Floyd Mayweather Jr. The hate isn’t as palpable and the debate about superiority doesn’t apply, but the reality of the situation is that this fight exists. While Money and Manny facing off would make boxing history, it’s a house of cards. There is nothing about this fight that is real except for the failure that has forced this match to be nothing more than a mirage.  

However, Marquez and Pacquiao is real and with proper subtext. Manny Pacquiao is looking to win the rubber match, and to do so, he’ll have to face an opponent that knows him as well as anyone. Marquez has been a perfect foil, and even at the age of 38, has enough left in the tank to give Manny one last battle. 

For Marquez, this is about his own payday. He knows that getting beat by Pacquiao won’t do anything for his pay-per-view draw. He knows that winning will allow him to leverage a fight against Mayweather for big money. At this stage of his career, his money has to be as important as his legacy: both are fleeting.  

Clearly, Manny has the most at risk going into this fight. Win and he’s looking at a $50 million payday and a chance to be part of the biggest fight in boxing in as long as anyone can remember. Lose and he kills his legacy, his credibility and that immense payday.  

You can't create that kind of drama—it’s born out of a rubber match between two competitors who were so evenly matched at one point in time. That’s far better drama than a fight that is likely to never happen.