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Fight breakdown: Pacquiao-Marquez
LAS VEGAS -- Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez square off at Mandalay Bay on Saturday in the rematch of their classic 2004 draw.
KEYS TO VICTORY
PACQUIAO'S KEYS | MARQUEZ' KEYS |
1. Use the right. Marquez got back into the first fight when he realized Pacquiao was doing nothing but throwing a right. Pacquiao needs variety in his attack. | 1. Jab, jab, jab. Marquez will blunt Pacquiao's charge and open his own offense by keeping a double or trip jab in Pacman's face. | |
2. Cut the distance. Pacquiao will be more successful if he's able to force the fight to close range. | 2. Hands high. Pacquiao tends to be a headhunter. Marquez can blunt this by keep his guard high and tight, essentially daring Pacquiao to go to the body. | |
3. Upper body movement. Marquez is a very straight and very accurate puncher. Pacquiao needs to make it difficult for him by moving his head and shoulders on the way in. | 3. Right hand counter. Marquez had great success in the opener countering Pacquiao's left with a right of his own. There is no reason to abandon that. | |
4. Body, then head. An effective combination for Pacquiao will be if he hooks to the body and then brings it up to the head quickly. | 4. Don't lay on the ropes. Pacquiao is a powerful puncher and Marquez can't afford to give him free reign to tee off. | |
RATING THE FIGHTERS
Comparison of challenger Manny Pacquiao and WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez on a rating of 1 to 10 in several categories:
CATEGORY | PACQUIAO | MARQUEZ | IOLE'S SKINNY |
Punching power | 10 | 8 | Pacquiao has one-punch knockout power. |
Jab | 7 | 9 | Marquez' jab is punishing and is as much an offensive weapon as it is a defensive one. |
Body attack | 8 | 8 | Pacquiao would be wise to work on the body. |
Speed and quickness | 10 | 7 | Pacquiao's power is borne of his exceptionally fast hands. |
Defense | 7 | 8 | Pacquiao throws wide punches and is vulnerable to straight shots down the middle, such as those Marquez throws. |
Chin | 9 | 9 | Both men have proven they can take a big shot. |
Stamina | 10 | 9 | Pacquiao appears shredded. |
Ring smarts | 8 | 10 | Marquez is a clever boxer who is brilliant at adaptation. |
Corner | 10 | 10 | Pacquiao's Freddie Roach and Marquez' Nacho Beristain are among the best in the business. |
Intangibles | 8 | 9 | Both have something to prove, but Marquez has confidence of knowing he won 22 of the 36 scored rounds in the first bout. |
Total | 87 | 87 | Anyone who saw their first fight in 2004 knows how evenly matched they are. Marquez' boxing ability and straight punches should enable him to take a unanimous decision in a close, but hotly contested, fight. |
