Five-time, three-weight World champion Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1, 39KO’s) could be forgiven for resting on his laurels and looking back at a career well done, but instead, this Saturday, faces the biggest test of his boxing life to date, against the great Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38KO’s), a man he has already fought twice before.

This trilogy will be remembered in the same vain as the great ones and is a fitting occasion following the death of Joe Frazier earlier this week, who of course delivered us possibly the greatest trilogy of all time against Muhammad Ali.

Although Marquez disputes the outcome of both fights, the fact is he has only managed to lose and draw with Pacquiao and will have to pull off the performance of his life to go one further and defeat the legendary Filipino on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“You have to use everything — strength, intelligence, speed. This is a fight you almost have to be perfect,” said Marquez.

That sums up perfectly the kind of performance Marquez will need to defeat Pacquiao. Every great fighter has their bogeyman and Marquez has been nothing but a headache for Pacquiao, but the task he faces is a huge one.

In their first fight Marquez was dropped heavily three times inside the first round and was seconds away from a blowout. The fact that he managed to claw his way back into the fight and frustrate Pacquiao to the point of desperation before gaining an impossible draw says everything you need to know about the Mexico City-born fighter’s heart. The fact that he improved on that performance in their second fight with a display of beautiful, if at times slightly negative, boxing further displays just how dangerous Marquez is.

In that fight in 2008, four years after their first one, Marquez could be considered unlucky not to get the nod and although losing a split-decision to Pacquiao managed to not only stay on his feet throughout but outbox the wild, swinging Pacquiao for long periods of time.

Since then Marquez has been defeated by Floyd Mayweather in a soul destroying fight for the Mexican veteran, but has rebounded flawlessly, most notably with a nine round stoppage of Australian warrior Michael Katsidis in a fight considered by many to be the best of 2010. Marquez showed true determination and proved to his doubters that he is still able to operate at the top level despite the crushing Mayweather loss.

Unfortunately for Marquez, Pacquaio has not put a foot wrong since their last bout, winning seven fights in a row against a who’s who of elite fighters in the sport today. Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley, Ricky Hatton and Antonio Margarito are just some of the victims on Pacquiao’s resume, and prove without a shadow of a doubt that as things stand he is the best fighter on the planet today, both through achievement and sheer talent. Excitement follows Manny Pacquiao like a shadow, and despite his mild manner outside the ring is a phenom inside it.

For this fight Pacquiao has been making all the right noises, as has trainer Freddie Roach, about how he is more prepared for Marquez’s style this time, and has even promised a KO, but talk and action are two very different things.

“The problem before [against Marquez] is that I never studied the style of being a counter puncher,” Pacquiao said. “I learned that after we fought two times. From then, I studied how to fight a good counter puncher like Marquez. I think I improved a lot. I’m ready to fight a counterpuncher boxer.”

“Manny used to be able to move in one direction, but now he moves laterally in both directions much better,” trainer Roach has said. “And Manny’s punching power has grown with the weight gain. I think if Manny puts him down this time, he won’t get up.

“I told everyone I’m not going to be satisfied until his right hand is as good as his left, and it is at this point. He can knock him out with both hands. In the first two fights, Manny only had the left hand.”

The key to it seems to be movement. Pacquiao can be a little ponderous and one-dimensional at times and goes looking for the knockout. Although very few fighters can negate this all-out assault Marquez, if he can weather the early storm, does have a chance of winning the tactical battle and exploit Pacquiao’s enthusiasm, using it to counter and frustrate him, but it takes a brave man to stand up to that sort of aggression.

Whether Marquez has the heart is not in doubt, he has proven it time and again, but whether his aging body can withstand another onslaught from the World’s most dangerous fighter remains to be seen. If, as he says, Pacquiao genuinely believes he has been able to adapt to Marquez’s style of fighting more then the ask looks even bigger, but as we know, words don’t mean anything once that first bell rings.

Should Pacquiao win there will be only one man in his sights. Floyd Mayweather. Pacquiao has already expressed a desire to face his pound-for-pound rival and has even gone as far as admitting his career would be unfulfilled should he fail to face Mayweather. Strong words indeed from a man billed as being an eight-weight World champion, but with the disputes over drug-testing and purse shares the fight looks no closer to happening than it did eighteen months ago.

One thing Pacquiao cannot afford to do is lose sight of Juan Manuel Marquez this weekend, or his dreams of facing Mayweather could all go up in smoke. The most likely outcome will be a late stoppage over Marquez, but you would be stupid to put too much money against a man who has given Pacquiao so much trouble in the past.

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