The rivalry between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez is destined to go down as one of the great series in boxing history.
The first three bouts have all been close and action packed.
When these two fighters get together on Dec. 8 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, it is the kind of bout that boxing fans want to see when they make an expensive pay-per-view purchase.
Nothing is guaranteed in this world, and when it comes to boxing, there are no sure things. However, when it comes to making an educated purchase, Pacquiao-Marquez IV on HBO pay-per-view appears to be worth the price.
The fight costs $60 if you are going to buy the HBO package yourself and another $10 is added to watch the fight in high definition.
Typically, boxing fans will turn championship pay-per-view fight nights into parties or occasions and guests will split the cost so the host isn't left holding the bag for the entire expense.
That's one way to defray the costs. The other way is to go to a local tavern that may be buying the fight so all its customers can watch—and drink plenty of alcohol in the process.
However, if you are a boxing fan and you just love the fight game, you may still want to make the decision to absorb the costs and watch Pacquiao and Marquez go at it.
In some ways, the bout will be a chess match. These two have fought three times and Pacquiao has a 2-0-1 advantage in the series. The two men know each other well and they know what the other will do in the ring.
However, if Freddie Roach can offer Pacquiao a new piece of strategy—or if Nacho Berenstain can do the same for Marquez—that the fighter can exploit, it could play a key role in the outcome of the contest.
With that being said, the more likely result is that the fight will become a matter of wills. Both fighters are skilled, explosive and have proven they can take a punch.
Training camp has shown that Marquez appears to be stronger than he has been in the past and that Pacquiao also appears to be in excellent condition.
Marquez is motivated to gain his first official win over Pacquiao. He could be 2-1 in the series or perhaps 3-0 if he had gotten a few judging breaks in the first fights.
Pacquiao is still chasing the rabbit of a bout with Floyd "Money" Mayweather. Perhaps that fight will be scheduled for 2013, but there's no guarantee that will happen. If he gets beaten by Marquez, it would look even more unlikely than it has in the past.
Look for two motivated fighters when Pacquiao and Marquez meet.
You may have to swallow hard, but the pay-per-view price is almost certainly worth it.
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