UNFINISHED BUSINESS - PART I

THE FIGHT OF ALL TIME - PART 1

by Doods A. Amora, PEE
March 10, 2008

March 16 (in the Philippines): It’s no ordinary deal. It’s unfinished business aching to be closed. It is history itself beckoning to resolve history, once and for all…

Pacman Vs. Dinamita - Part II. Yes! The Tension of the Century!

THE FIRST ENCOUNTER

Forty six months ago, Pacquiao and Marquez had clashed once in twelve perplexing rounds. In the first canto, the dynamite faltered and did not explode while the Pacman for three times in a row like a hungry python seemed set to devour the Mexican in one whole piece. After three knockdowns, Game Over! But it didn’t! The bell rang and the dynamite stuck in Marquez’s frame sought sanctuary from total ‘defusement’.

To recall, the one-minute break after the first round was a wonder. Marquez and his handler Nacho Beristain appeared to have solved the puzzle, quickly enough. While the first of the twelve sticks of dynamite fizzled out, most of the next 11 rounds found them detonating – some in full blast, some in medium flash and some in coughs. On the Pacman’s side; a blistering foot getting worse, a left hand hurting increasingly round after round.

In the end, it was a draw! To Marquez’s camp – it was a robbery; to Pacman’s side – an errant judge’s score! Both claimed victory. Both combatants sleepless and itching for an immediate rematch. But the money just didn't bite and boxing economics did not warrant. That was almost 4 years past.

The waiting is over. Now, the Philippines and Mexico have to conclude the Unfinished Business.


THE PACMAN

Manny Pacquiao, 45(35KO’s)-3-2, is on the road to immortality as a global star. He had been crowned several times at the expense of Mexican big names - foremost of them Morales and Barrera. In epic battles, the boxing legends in the division have already been disposed of, except for Juan Manuel Marquez, the last Mexican standing. By plain sense, winning over Marquez is a conclusion to a chapter. To Manny, a victory opens the gate for more mega-lucrative opportunities in the heavier divisions.


As if “human possessed”, nobody can beat Pacquiao these days, as many observers say. Manny’s hard work again is seen not only legendary but this time, incredible, and there’s that magic in Freddie Roach behind the scene. The Pacman has been training very seriously, this time – in full two months. And there’s no more night shooting of movies & commercials, night pool games, trips to derbies and the perennial distractions. Notably gone was the habit of just preparing himself up to the par or the skills of his opponent. Remember Fahsan, Larios, Solis and the second Barrera fight?

This time, Manny is not taking Marquez lightly. And this must be bad news to the Mexican.

After the second Pacquiao-Barrera fight, in an article “The Will to Win – Part 2” posted in this blogsite, this writer asked, “what if Manny faced Juan Manuel Marquez in the same night”? That was an off-shoot to the scary moments on the issue of weight when Pacquiao struggled to meet the 130 pound limit at weigh-in. In boxing, reporting for work overweight is reflective of the quality of training and preparation for a big fight. The boxing world then was not so happy of the near-boring match.

However today, the weight issue has seemed erased. In a recent conference call, Pacquiao confirmed that he was not at his best in his latest fights. "I realized I had not been as hungry as I had been before," said Pacquiao, "I'm hungry now, hungry enough to win... Before, I was 50 percent or 60 percent. Now I am 100 percent dedicated to boxing and to the training."

“I think that Marquez is still strong and still a good fighter, even at 34. I won’t underestimate him. I’m expecting Marquez at his 100% best. He is hungry for a victory in this fight because he’s the only Mexican left who has a chance to beat me. He wants to make a name by beating me. He needs to win this fight, that’s why he will do his best to win. I won’t let him do that. I have trained hard and prepared for this. It’s going to be a good fight,” Pacquiao declared.

No fighter had belittled the powers & skills of the Pacman except the Marquez camp. Having tasted some degree of success in the first fight, Marquez is out to expose Pacquiao. But then, "we have plans A and B and it would depend on what Marquez does and on how he wants to fight us. If he is aggressive, we are ready for that and if he wants to counter-punch, we are also ready for that", said Freddie Roach.


THE DYNAMITE MARQUEZ

On the other hand, Juan Manuel Marquez 48(35 KO’s)-3-1 believes he’s the thorn that will prick the Manny Pacquiao bubble as assassin of Mexican ring stars. “I have prepared myself to win,” declared the World Boxing Council super featherweight champion in a recent interview. ''I'm more of a technical fighter, in better condition, and I proved it in the first fight,'' Marquez said. “Watching the first fight, I saw Manny Pacquiao getting tired, and I wasn't. I was in my prime throughout the fight. So, I can tell you I consider myself better than Manny Pacquiao -- because I'm a better boxer, a better fighter.''

While Pacquiao considers this fight more personal, Marquez made it very clear that he is fighting for Mexico to avenge a string of Mexican fighters who all tasted defeats in the hands of the Filipino warrior. That is a palpable motivation for Marquez to resolve this Unfinished Business with Pacquiao.

To prove his point, Marquez started his training regimen early. While his Filipino challenger started punishing the mitts at the Wild Card Gym eight weeks ago, the Mexican champion set off his training camp one month earlier at the Romanza Gym in Mexico City.


MARQUEZ’S CHANCES

Is the Pacman beatable? Although Juan Manuel Marquez is officially the champion, it’s Pacquaio who is the man to beat. The odds are showing so. How can Juan Manuel defeat Manny?

To beat Pacman, Dinamita must be in super-explosive physical condition. Marquez himself admitted it as part of his game plan. With three months training, that no doubt has been achieved.

Physical conditioning did it to his fight with Barrera. If memory serves me right, Barrera was in control of the fight and winning in the earlier rounds. In the later rounds however, Barrera’s work rate dwindled and his power waning - thus allowing Marquez to unleash his own bombs. In the end, even if the knockdown was counted, in my book, the late rounds cost Barrera the fight.

But conditioning is not enough for an opponent such as the Pacman. Pacman has metamorphosed into a two-fisted technical machine himself that would outswarm the fuses of the dynamite. And the Pacman in all indications is prepared to exchange leathers for 15 rounds or more.

Hence, one option is style. Whatever happens, Marquez has to go back to his best comfort zone – his perfect counterpunching. Although he did display some offensive initiatives when fighting Rocky Juarez & Marco Antonio Barrera; those were reasonable because he can afford to do so. With Pacman, he must be extra careful. He would experiment for sure but whatever happens he should be ready to run.

VISIONS OF FIGHT SCENES

Now note that Marquez in a recent press conference declared that he would not allow Pacquiao to duplicate the intimidating first three minutes of their previous fight. So then, he has to be super-active in the first round and his trainer Nacho must have done his homework. In order to be effectively active, it means a work rate high enough from the very first round till the end. But then as expected, Pacquiao’s offense must also be in high gear from the beginning to end. And remember, Pacman’s defense is his offense. With stamina now out of question, matira ang matibay, the best of the two from within has yet to come, but expect a Marquez knockdown within the first two rounds.

As my previous articles say, when Pacquiao attacks, back-pedaling by the opponent is mortal sin. Marquez will surely be caught drowned by flashing combinations saturating the oxygen he breathes. By experience, Juan himself knows it best. But Marquez is capable of coming back strong as the previous fight revealed.

The first two rounds will therefore be critical. But I expect neither fighter is endangered to be knocked out, at this stage. Both fighters are in superb condition. The best part has yet to come.

As a sidebar to recall, Barrera engaged only with Pacman when endangered.

In the third and fourth rounds, I’d like to believe Marquez would do the same as Barrera did. He himself had done this before. But this time, I am convinced that Nacho had devised Marquez a special counter game plan. It’s now worth contemplating what could happen if Pacquiao leaps forward just as Marquez throws a perfectly timed right uppercut lead from an unexpected angle.

Thud! Pacman could be down in the fourth but not out!

The fifth round will see Pacman in more composed poise. Roach must be instructing Manny to implement series of 'one-two-three-four combos' they had countlessly rehearsed in the gym. To my hunch, it will be the same “Marco Bolo” combinations which failed to take center stage during the Pacman-Barrera II fight. With longer training & preparation, Pacman now must be able to perform and deliver the stings to textbook precision. With the right hooks, I see Marquez staggering two times and the score favors the Pacman.

Now here comes the pivotal sixth round. As Pacquiao lunges forward, Marquez stoops down low past Manny’s straight lefts & rights, suddenly upping his head thereafter clashing its full inertia to Manny’s face. There you are gentlemen, a head butt which looks like an accident! As the crimson fluids leak profusely blinding Pacquiao's eyes, the ensuing bleeding face will be reminiscent of Morales-Pacquiao I. And history repeats itself, I’m afraid – the 'headbutt' also happened in Pacman-Solis fight.

The texture of the fight would then change. In the end, as the dust of war cleared, Michael Buffer barks: "... and the winner by split decision ... still...!"

This is not a prediction as my crystal ball is erring these days. I am just expressing my fears. I have said this once, in my previous article. Thank God, it did not happen in Pacman-Barrera - Part 2.

But my fear is still there. Because to me, this is only the way Marquez can defeat our hero.


Doods