Pacquiao vs. Marquez III: Pac-Man Should Be Afraid of Marquez

There is a long-held belief in sports that the most dangerous athlete is the one that has nothing to lose. Juan Manuel Marquez is in that position tonight when he takes on Manny Pacquiao for the third time.

The theory behind this belief is that if you have nothing to lose, your mind will be free and everything that you have been working on in training and sparring will be able to shine bright.

Pacquiao is supposed to win this fight. He is the huge favorite–currently 6-to-1, according to Bodog.com–and is the biggest star in the sport. He is the pound-for-pound king, and no one, not even Floyd Mayweather, is particularly close.

Marquez, on the other hand, is still one of the most dangerous boxers in the world. Even at 38-years-old, he has the speed and power to knock anyone down if he finds the opening to land that one good shot.

The difference between Marquez and Shane Mosley or Antonio Margarito, the last two fighters that have gone down to Pacquiao, is that he knows what to expect and has proven capable of withstanding the onslaught in the early rounds.

Marquez understands that the odds are against him, but at the same time, he does not feel that he is getting the respect he deserves.

From the Boston Herald:

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“It doesn’t do anything for me,’’ Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs) said of his underdog status. “People can make bets if they like those odds. That’s fine with me. It has nothing to do with my fight. I have to go into the fight with the mentality that I have to win each round, and if the opportunity comes, I go for the knockout. I am not going to hesitate if the opportunity is there.

“Without a doubt this fight is personal for me. I didn’t get the two decisions I thought I won. I think I will win this fight because I should have won the first two. We both are going to give it our all.’’

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Pacquiao deserves to be the favorite in this fight because he has proven his dominance inside the ring for the last six years. He is the fastest and most technically sound boxer in the world today.

But Marquez has the confidence of knowing that just three years ago he fought Pacquiao to a decision that quite honestly could have gone either way.

Now with one more chance to prove to the world that he got shafted in those first two fights, Marquez is a man with nothing to lose. He will be as focused and intense as we have ever seen him, and it will make for one hell of a confrontation when these two world class boxers step into the ring. 

For the latest news and updates on Pacquiao Vs. Marquez, and for all the latest news and insight on all things boxing, be sure to check out Bleacher Report's Boxing Central.