Marquez faces moment of truth against Pacquiao

LAS VEGAS—Juan Manuel Marquez faces what could be the defining moment of a legendary boxing career on Saturday when he fights Manny Pacquiao in quest of a world title in his fourth different weight class.

The 38-year-old Mexican has enjoyed a legendary career, but settled for a controversial 2004 draw with Pacquiao and lost a 2008 rematch by one point on one judge’s scorecard, leaving their third slugfest to settle the score.

“Without a doubt it’s personal for me,” Marquez said. “I didn’t get the decisions in the first two. I thought I won them both. The third fight will show who is the best.”

Marquez, 53-5 with one drawn and 39 knockouts, has won world titles at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight and hopes to take Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization title on Saturday.

“He needs this fight badly,” Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach said of Marquez. “You will see a high level of boxing in that ring on Saturday.”

His willingness to exchange flurries of punches made his bouts with the Filipino icon exciting for fight fans, but he is confident he can take a decision if he is unable to land a knockout blow.

“I’m just going in with the mentality I have to win the rounds and if the opportunity comes to knock him out, I’m not going to hesitate,” Marquez said.

Growing up the poor son of a fighter in a tough Mexico City neighborhood, Marquez was disqualified in his 1993 pro debut but won his next 29 fights until losing to Fred Norwood in 1999 in his first world title bout.

Marquez’s only other losses came to unbeaten Indonesian Chris John in 2006, to Pacquiao in 2008 and, in his only prior welterweight fight, to unbeaten US star Floyd Mayweather in 2009.

For years, Marquez has sought a third fight with Pacquiao, giving it so much emphasis that he dismissed questions about a possible next fight or retirement, which is not on his mind, by saying his only focus has been beating Pacquiao.

“I’m not thinking of anything but Saturday’s fight,” Marquez said.

Marquez is six years older than Pacquiao but neither fighter thinks that has cost him any skill and might have made him a smarter, more dangerous fighter.

“I don’t believe age has anything to do with it,” Marquez said. “I’ve prepared very well. With the good training camp I had I’ll be ready.

“I know Pacquiao comes to fight. It’s always a spectacular fight. That’s why I think it’s going to be a great war between us. There are two warriors in the ring. One is pressing the other. Styles make fights.”

Both fighters have avoided trash talking, Marquez’s claims of victory in the two prior fights and Pacquiao’s having not lost the closest either has come to taunting.

“You can be a good boxer without saying bad things,” Pacquiao said. “Inside my heart, he is my friend. But in the ring we have business to do.”