SACRAMENTO—Rivalries in sports are the stuff of legend and history.
The Yankees vs the Red Sox. Chris Evert vs Martina Navratilova. Jack Nicklaus vs Arnold Palmer. Magic Johnson vs Larry Bird. Muhammad Ali vs Joe Frazier.
Not since the Louisville Lip and the guy called Smokin’ Joe fought three classic fights in the early 1970s has a rivalry in the sweet science had higher stakes, psychological and personal, like the current bad blood between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Pacquiao-Mayweather hasn’t been a contest of equals. Never will be. And until their feud finally reaches its gladiatorial aspect—a clash in the ring someday—it would, as fueled by fan allegiance, sustain more intensity.
Gone is the heyday of screaming aficionados in cauldron-hot boxing stadiums and packed close-circuit television halls. The iron grip on fan loyalty is now measured by the present-day barometer of a fighter’s worth—the number of pay-per-view buys for championship bouts he lends his star power to.And so the hype goes on for the only title belt Pacquiao and Mayweather are able to contest—that of boxing’s PPV king.
The Mayweather camp is now at a fever pitch promoting his Sept. 17 bout with fellow American Victor Ortiz. Pacquiao’s handlers, meantime, are frantically creating interest for his third fight with Mexican warrior Juan Manuel Marquez on Nov. 12.
All in the name of the mighty pay-per-view buck.
Both fights will be broadcast by PPV heavyweight HBO from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao trainer Freddie Roach is confident as ever that Pacquiao-Marquez III will end up the way he envisions it: A lopsided win for the Filipino boxing icon.
But something’s bugging the Hall of Fame trainer a little bit, according to Ring Magazine, known as the bible of boxing.
Pacquiao and Marquez fought to a draw in 2004 and Pacquiao won a split decision over the Mexican in 2008—leaving one nagging question unanswered: Who is the better fighter of the two?
According to a Ring Magazine report, Roach told news reporters at the Beverly Hills Hotel during the news conference and photo opportunity for the protagonists Wednesday that “sometimes people have people’s number.”
“I think guys have a style that you have difficulty with. This (Marquez’s) could be one of them,” Roach told the media.
“Will Manny fall into the trap, fall into Marquez’s plan like he did in those fights?” Roach continued. “You never know.”
Although Marquez at 38 is six years older than Pacquiao, Roach said he still has a lot of respect for Juan Manuel, whom he describes as the “best counterpuncher on the planet.”
Then again, Roach said his fighter “doesn’t go in recklessly like he did in the first two fights.”
He explained that “Manny doesn’t fall into the traps of a counterpuncher. He knows how to feint now. He uses in and out motions. You don’t know whether he’s coming or going.”
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