Marquez, Pacquiao gain pounds, skill since first match in 2004

His arms thrust triumphantly, Juan Manuel Marquez headed to his corner after the final bell at Mandalay Bay Events Center in 2008, fully convinced he had beaten Manny Pacquiao the second time around.

The two had fought to a 12-round draw four years earlier at the MGM Grand Garden. That night, Marquez was knocked down three times in the first round before rallying and appearing to gain the upper hand.

This time, Marquez was certain he had won the rematch after surviving a third-round knockdown.

"We all thought we had done it," Marquez said Monday. "The entire camp was celebrating."

Then the judges' scorecards were announced to the participants and the sellout crowd. Jerry Roth scored it for Marquez, 115-112, while Duane Ford and Tom Miller saw it Pacquiao's way, scoring it 115-112 and 114-113, respectively.

Denied victory for a second time, Marquez has seethed inside ever since. He demanded an immediate rematch, but was put on hold for three years while Pacquiao made a meteoric rise through the weight divisions, winning at 135, 140, 147 and 154 pounds and becoming the sport's biggest star.

Finally, at 38, Marquez (53-5-1, 29 knockouts) will get his chance for redemption Saturday when he and Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) meet for the third time, once again inside the Grand Garden. This time, they'll fight at a contracted catch weight of 144 pounds for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight belt. Their first fight was at 125 and the rematch was at 130.

"It doesn't matter," Marquez said of the dramatic disparity in weight since the first fight. "I'm bigger and stronger, and we are going to clear all the doubts from the first two fights. I feel very good about it."

Nacho Beristain, the Hall of Fame trainer who has handled Marquez throughout his career, said Marquez's work with strength coach Angel Hernandez will be the difference Saturday.

"We knew we needed to do some things differently," Beristain said. "We had been doing the same things for 15 years, and we needed a change. We are very happy with the results, and we think it's going to make Marquez a better fighter."

Marquez's prior venture beyond 140 pounds did not go well; he was totally dominated by Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2009 at the MGM Grand Garden. Marquez weighed 142 that night, but he said his performance had nothing to do with weight.

"Mayweather doesn't let you fight; he is a defensive fighter," Marquez said. "But Pacquiao comes to fight. He comes right at you and is always going to give you a fight."

Beristain said both fighters are different since they last met.

"I think Pacquiao has become a better technician as a boxer," Beristain said. "He still comes at you, but is not as wild as he used to be. He looks like he knows what he's doing, and that is a direct impact of (Pacquiao's trainer) Freddie Roach. He is throwing a much better right hook.

"I think Marquez has become more mature as a fighter and now fights at a higher level and has gotten better. At his age, sometimes you wonder if he is focused for the fight. But I know that he is. He'll fight like he's 24."

And easy as it might be for Marquez to be motivated by the past, the reality is the circumstances are far different this time. Pacquiao is a proven performer at 144 pounds and beyond. At 32, his body has matured to where his added bulk has not compromised his speed. And Pacquiao himself is not lacking motivation. He needs to win Saturday to keep hope alive that one day he and Mayweather will finally meet in a megafight.

"I know it's a difficult and tough fight," said Marquez, a 9½-1 underdog. "Obviously he has changed over the years. But I know that, so I've adjusted for that. We know each other so well. You can't be careless in the ring against him. If either of us gets careless, they're going to get knocked out."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter @stevecarprj.