LAS VEGAS—The more Juan Manuel Marquez talks, the more Manny Pacquiao gets mad.
Pacquiao doesn’t show it, but ask his chief trainer, Freddie Roach, and he’ll reveal that his prized ward intends to knock Marquez out in their fourth fight Saturday night.
“He told me: ‘I’m going to knock this guy out,’” said Roach.
After failing to finish off Marquez in their first three fights, Pacquiao now wants to shut his loud mouth. Pacquiao wants to give Mexican no chance to claim that he’d been robbed of victory not once, but thrice.
Marquez isn’t entirely to blame for whining against the draw, split decision and majority decision that went Pacquiao’s way.
Marquez actually escaped with a draw in their first fight due to a scoring lapse by a judge. Burt Clements scored the first round, where Pacquiao knocked down Marquez thrice, 10-7 instead of 10-6 which should have been enough for a one-point win for the Filipino.
Pacquiao won their rematch by just a point on the strength of a third-round knockdown. The third edition saw two judges reward the fight to the Filipino ring icon with the third calling it a draw.
Having bulked up while not losing speed under the supervision of strength and conditioning coach Angel Hernandez, Marquez said he’d go for a knockout if the opportunity arises.
Pacquiao, of course, was pleased. He wants to send Marquez to Dreamland too. That’s why he trained hard.
Even when they’re doing the mitts, Roach felt the difference. For the Hall of Fame trainer, the knockout is about to come. Pacquiao’s killer instinct is back.