Pacquiao vs Marquez: Things Heat Up in Fourth Round

Compared to what we saw in their first two fights, the first three rounds in tonight’s bout between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez were a little subdued.

Things got rolling in the fourth round, though. After playing it safe through the first three rounds, Pac-Man and Marquez started trading blows much like they did in 2004 and 2008. Pac-Man landed a couple good blows, but Marquez would come right back.

Suddenly, it was a fight.

It looked like Marquez took the worst of it, but he definitely doesn’t look like a fighter who was supposed to be totally overmatched in this fight. He looks like the same fighter who took Pac-Man to the limit in two prior fights. If nothing else, that means Pac-Man is going to have a very hard time getting the knockout that so many have predicted him getting.

But we’ll see. For every instance that Marquez looks great, there is an instance in which he does look older and slower. He’s landing some good shots, but I’ll wager that Pac-Man is landing harder shots.

As more and more time goes by, those are going to take their toll.

I predicted before this fight that Pac-Man would win via a knockout in the seventh. Given the way the fight is progressing, I don’t think it’s going to come that soon, if at all. These two could very well go the distance again.

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.