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“What can be bad?” roared Top Rank promoter Bob Arum. “It’s organic broccoli!”
Hocking produce is apparently the latest addition to the empire the Filipino fighter has created since going from being simply an excellent boxer to a global icon. Earlier in the week, Pacquiao plugged an upcoming documentary about himself. There was also an autobiography sold in hardcover and paperback and a “60 Minutes” interview.
And when he isn’t doing commercials for HP or AT&T, Pacquiao is the only Filipino congressman who beats people up for more than $20 million a fight. It’s a lavish life Juan Manuel Marquez thinks could have been his if his first two fights with Pacquiao had gone his way.
The two fighters meet for the third time tonight at the MGM Grand Garden arena, offering Marquez a chance to win the WBO welterweight championship and prove he is equal if not superior to his rival.
“I’ve been waiting for this a long time,” Marquez said.
A three-time world champion, Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs) firmly believes he won the first two fights. The first meeting in 2004 was ruled a draw after Marquez rallied from three knockdowns in the first round. The 2008 rematch left both fighters bloodied,and Pacquiao earned a split decision.
While Marquez stewed in Mexico, Pacquiao exploded into boxing’s next superstar, retiring Oscar De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton and beating up Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley. He is now rich beyond rich and is being groomed as a future presidential candidate in the Philippines.
Marquez sees all that Pacquiao enjoys and thinks that could have been his if he had gotten the decision in the first two fights. That might be a stretch, given Pacquiao’s charisma and the adoration he enjoys in his home country.
But certainly, Marquez’s career would be complete with a victory over Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs).
“I’m going to work round by round and I’m going to try to win round by round,” Marquez said. “I just wish the judges score what they’re seeing and not the way they scored the other two fights when they were not very impartial.”
Although the first two fights were this close, Pacquiao is an overwhelming favorite tonight. De La Hoya, Hatton, Cotto, Margarito and Mosley were no match for Pacquiao’s speed and power, but Marquez lost his last mega-fight in 2009 to Floyd Mayweather. Marquez fought at 142 pounds for that fight and looked sluggish. He weighed 142 again yesterday, but said a more scientific conditioning and weight-lifting program has increased his power without hurting his hand speed.
“We’re going to combine intelligence with speed,” Marquez said.
I expect Marquez to give Pacquiao, who also weighed 142, more trouble than any of his recent opponents. Marquez seems very determined, and his counter-punching style and timing have always given Pacquiao problems. But Marquez is 38 years old, and Pacquiao, 32, is a more two-fisted boxer than he was in their previous fight, having added an improved right hand to his arsenal.
“There is a big difference in my style, and my technique has improved,” Pacquiao said.
PREDICTION: Pacaquiao eighth-round TKO.