After getting robbed against Timothy Bradley in June, Manny Pacquiao has vowed to end December's match against longtime rival Juan Manuel Marquez early, with no scorecards needed.
Heck, his own mom is trash-talking, saying Pacquiao will knock out Marquez in two rounds, per BoxingScene.com.
But if Pacquiao couldn't knock out Bradley, what makes you think he'll knock out Marquez?
After all, Marquez was a victim to the scorecards against Pacquiao in November 2011. Many believed he should have won that fight.
The historic Mexican has also taken Pacquiao the distance in all three of their fights, including in the draw in May 2004.
While Pac-Man generally looked more in tune against Bradley than he did against Marquez, that doesn't change the fact that - at 33 years old - he's not the same explosive boxer he once was. He hasn't scored a knockout since 2009 and I certainly don't see that changing against a longtime nemesis who has made a career out of staying in the fight.
In fact, Marquez has never been knocked out in 61 career fights. That includes going the distance against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2009.
Yes, Marquez is getting older, too. He's 39 years old now. But, in a legacy cemented by his undying heart and stamina, the last thing he wants is to retire with a knockout on his resume. That's like asking Mayweather to stop being a counter-puncher and just go after the guy, already -it's just not his style.
Will Pac-Man put in a better effort in the rivals' fourth clash together? I would be surprised if he didn't.
But thinking he will all of a sudden knock out Marquez is living in a dream world. Marquez deserves more respect than that.
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