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Misc Boxing/MMA Boxing Archive Preview: Marquez/Pacquiao II
Written by Scott Swerbinsky

Scott Swerbinsky
What a treat for fight fans tonight.  Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez, finally cueing up the rematch of their thrilling draw from 2004.  A fight that saw Pac Man knock down Marquez three times in the first round, then saw Marquez rally back to force a draw in a bloody and controversial war that is considered one of the great fights of the last decade.  I've been waiting four years for this one, and my cousin preps us for this absolute must see fight this evening. Live from The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, a rematch fight fans have been waiting for is finally here.

It's been four years since Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez battled to a draw. The fight was one of the best I have ever seen. It ended in controversy. Both fighters thought they won. It is simply amazing that there was no immediate rematch.

The first installment took place in May of 2004. Manny Pacquiao came out like a man possessed and let his hands fly like he always does. He managed to knock down Marquez three times in the very first round. The first two times to the canvas, Marquez jumped right up. The third time was a totally different story. He staggered up and was very wobbly. To many observers, the ref should have stopped the fight right there. Juan Manuel Marquez showed true heart and made it on to the second round.

Many times we see fighters recover and it usually takes three to four rounds until they regain their full energy and have their legs underneath them. Juan Manuel Marquez was back at full strength and won the second round. He went to display superior boxing skills and fought to a draw. There were a lot of fans and boxing experts that actually had Marquez winning the fight when it was all said and done.  That wasn't the only question surrounding this fantastic fight.

One of the ringside judges scored the first round 10-7 in favor of Pacquiao instead of 10-6 like it should have been scored. If that round would have been scored correctly, Pacquiao would have won the decision. When weird things happen and draws are announced, the immediate thought is for a rematch.

The rumor around the boxing world is the main factor there was no rematch is because of Juan Manuel Marquez and his camp. He felt he deserved the win after a heroic rally. They also believed after his display against Manny, he would be on to more big name fights. Those didn't happen right away, at least not for Marquez. Pacquiao was the fighter that people wanted to see and he was the one that ended up getting those big pay days and world class opponents.

Fast forward to Saturday night and we have ourselves a megafight. Pacquiao and Marquez are two legit top ten pound for pound fighters.Marquez comes in at 47-3-1 with 35 knockouts while Pacquiao is currently 45-3-2 with 35 KO victories. Both fighters always come ready to fight and are have action packed styles.

Tonight's fight has been my choice for fight of the year ever since it was announced. There is no reason why this fight won't live up to the hype and it should be very similar to the first time they stepped into the ring together. I expect an all out brawl with fireworks galore. These two fighters are evenly matched and want to prove that they were the real winner the first time around.

Manny Pacquiao comes in as the heavier handed fighter with true one punch knockout power. Juan Manuel Marquez likes to outwork his opposition and does so with a brutal body attack. Endurance is going to be a key in this battle as will both fighters' cutmen.

The action is going to be fast and furious and no boxing fan should miss one. The first time they fought I was amazed at the skill level of these two men. They both are a little older but also wiser and much more polished.

I can't wait for the bell to ring and the action to start. Don't miss this one.

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