It's the fight everyone wants to see: Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez going toe-to-toe one more time.
While a fifth fight of their epic rivalry would generate a buzz that we've not seen surrounding a fight in some time—and it would result in what would easily be the biggest payday of Dinamita's career—it's a fight that Marquez simply doesn't need.
Everyone, including the two fighters, were looking for a definitive answer in their fourth bout, an answer that Marquez and his thunderous right hand delivered in the sixth round with a shot that dropped Pacquiao like we've never seen the 10-time World Champion drop before.
That was as definitive an answer as anyone could have asked for.
It was the signature win of Marquez' storied career, a victory that likely ensured his spot in the Boxing Hall of Fame—though to be honest, he was likely headed there anyway, with or without a victory over Pacquiao.
Dinamita has nothing left to prove against Pac-Man.
Correction: Dinamita has nothing left to prove. Period.
Entering the fourth fight in his storied rivalry with Pacquiao, Marquez was set on retiring, regardless of the outcome. As he told ESPN UK, "I said that regardless of the outcome I was going to retire, but we'll see. Everything seems to be rosy, but we'll see what happens. I would love to fight at Estadio Azteca."
Marquez celebrates his 40th birthday next August, and while he looked as strong and powerful as ever in his last fight, the abuse he has taken over 62 career fights is going to begin catching up with him sooner rather than later.
His family has seen enough.
"It's the hardest decision of my life. Just yesterday I got home and told my wife: 'Hey, baby, one more fight,' and she said, 'no, you left off [saying] you were going to retire.'"
Dinamita himself isn't overly excited at the prospect of getting in the ring with Pac-Man for the fifth time:
"It was a very difficult fight on Saturday, six rounds of fire, dangerous, severe punches, but logically we know that all the money in the world cannot buy another life, and it cannot buy you another brain."
For all of the reasons why he shouldn't fight, there is ultimately only one person who will make that decision—and that person is satisfied with what he's accomplished in the ring.
"I would retire as I am right now, physically and mentally well. I wanted to show who was who, I could not retire without proving who was better, and it was proven on December 8."
Juan Manuel Marquez has nothing to gain by stepping back into the ring with Manny Pacquiao.
But he's got plenty to lose.
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