Pacquiao vs. Marquez: Last-Minute Predictions for Tonight's Fight

As Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez get ready for their fight tonight there is still time for our final predictions for this fight.

In the same week that the boxing world lost Joe Frazier and his trilogy of fights with Muhammad Ali we are given the third fight between Pacquiao and Marquez.

This fight will surely surpass the first two, which were ruled as a draw and a close Pacquiao win, respectively.

Prediction 1: Added Weight Hurts Marquez

Marquez weighed in at 142 pounds for this fight, tied for the heaviest he has ever been.  In that first fight, he lost to Floyd Mayweather via unanimous decision (120-107, 119-108, 118-109).  Marquez looked very slow in that fight, and he couldn't hit Mayweather.

Granted that this time Marquez looks much more defined, he should still be slower than usual.  While he will certainly be stronger with an additional 12 pounds of muscle, he will not be as quick.

This will lead to Pac-Man landing flurries of punches on his slower opponent.  Pacquiao punishes slower opponents, and adding weight will hurt Marquez much more than it helps.

Prediction 2: Pacquiao Is NOT Rusty

There has been speculation that Pacquiao will be rusty for this fight, as it is only his second of the year.  He is getting older and his distractions outside of the ring may be holding him back.

However, Pacquiao changed his training method to spar one day earlier than usual.  This seems to have shaken off the rust, because it seems that no one who attended this workout saw any sign of rust.

Pacquiao should come out ready for this fight, and that is bad news for Marquez.

Prediction 3: Pacquiao Knocks Out Marquez

Pacquiao has had to deal with Marquez ranting about how he was robbed after both of their first two fights, so he is going to knock out Marquez so he doesn't have to listen to him.  OK, it's not that easy, but I stand by this prediction.

Pacquiao appears ready to go for this fight, while Marquez will be slower.  Marquez knows that so he will be trying to end the fight with one or two good punches in the early rounds.  That will leave him open, and Pacquiao will take advantage, landing a flurry of punches before he can recover.

Pacquiao's team is confident that he will knock out Marquez, and they say it will come in the early rounds.  While teams usually talk their fighters up, they do not go around predicting knockouts in early rounds often.

I see a fighter who is ready to dominate in Pacquiao, and I firmly believe that he will knock Marquez out in this fight.

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.