Pacquiao vs. Marquez III: Pac-Man's Evolution as a Fighter Will Lead to KO

If Juan Manuel Marquez things that he will be able to rely on his past experience of fighting Manny Pacquiao, he's going to be in for a very long night.

Actually, he's going to be in for a very short bout.

It's a natural human instinct to change in the face of adversity. Pacquiao has fought Marquez twice now, and two times they have left the ring with less than satisfying results.

The first fight back in 2004 was called a split decision draw, Pacquiao won the second but that being said many felt it was Marquez's decision to take.

Either way, none of that matters.

As I said, it's a natural human reaction to change and to grow. If you're not getting better, you're getting worse, and according to Kieran Mulvaney of ESPN, Pacquiao knows he is a different fighter:

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Pacquiao, for one, is certain that if Marquez is expecting to face the same man he fought in 2004 and 2008, he's in for a surprise. 

"I don’t think that [studying] the last two fights will help for this fight, because it's a big difference. I've changed a lot, my style. I think I'm more improved right now, compared to three years ago, four years ago," he said this week. "I think I'm more experienced, especially my strategy and techniques, and more improved in my right hand, and also movement side to side, and timing. I've learned how to be a counterpuncher as well as an aggressive fighter." 

That said, Pacquiao acknowledges that "the last two fights helped me a lot. I learned a lot, especially [how to fight] a counterpuncher." 

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Pacquiao isn't the same fighter that he was in 2008, and he certainly isn't the same fighter he was in 2004.

The fact: He is much, much better.

Not only has he improved in skill, but he has the added motivation of knowing that he has the opportunity to straighten out the record with him and Marquez once and for all.

When all is said and done, it's Manny's evolution as a fighter that is going to bring him a win against Juan Manuel Marquez.

He's knocked him down before, but this time around, it's going to be for the count.