First Fight
Neither Manny Pacquiao nor Juan Manuel Marquez has boxed in the Olympics, but their bout Saturday night is expected to inspire Olympian-style nationalism in their home countries.
Pacquiao (45-3-2, 34 KOs), one of the biggest sports heroes of all time in the Philippines, and Marquez (47-3-1, 35 KOs), the son of a former pro boxer from Mexico City and a fan favorite in boxing-crazy Mexico, meet Saturday night (HBO pay-per-view, 9 ET, $49.95) in Las Vegas for the super featherweight world championship in a rematch nearly four years in the making.
"These two guys carry a nation on their shoulders, and that's what makes it even more special," says HBO's Mark Taffet.
Adding more intrigue is that their first fight, on May 8, 2004, and considered by many experts to be the fight of the year, ended in a majority draw. Marquez came back from three first-round knockdowns to essentially outbox Pacquiao the rest of the way.
"(Marquez) is going to have 100 million Mexicans behind him," says Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, which is handling the fight. "This is for pride; this is for country. It really is for Mexico."
Pacquiao, whose popularity in his home country is unquestioned has been called "The Mexican Executioner" because he has mowed down many of Mexico's greatest fighters, including two wins each against Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.
Pacquiao, who once ran unsuccessfully for a congressional seat in the Philippines, doesn't care for the moniker and counts many Mexicans among his legions of fans.
"I'm expecting Marquez at his 100% best," Pacquiao says. "He is hungry for a victory because he's the only Mexican left who has a chance to beat me. He wants to make a name by beating me. … I won't let him do that."
Proof of just how much this fight means to the 29-year-old Pacquiao lies in the fact that he has forgone one of his favorite pastimes — playing basketball — to concentrate on his training. The left-handed slugger came to the USA earlier than usual to get away from the crush of Filipino fans trying to get close to him.
"Manny came to camp early, and we usually have a rule that we don't play basketball and I didn't even have to worry about it," says Pacquiao's trainer, Freddie Roach. "He didn't want to play this time because this fight is so important."
Among the Pac Man's fans is Philippines President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who doesn't mince words. "The victory of Pacquiao is a victory of the more than 76 million Filipinos, and the entire nation joins him in celebrating," she says.
Marquez, who watched his brother, Rafael, lose a controversial decision to Israel Vazquez two weeks ago, knows how much this fight means to his countrymen as well. But the quiet 34-year-old, nicknamed "Dinamita" (Dynamite) plans to let his fists do the talking.
"I don't like to talk," he says. "This fight is for my country, my people. I will win it with my heart."
Contributing: The Associated Press
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