Factors to decide outcome

The factors that could decide the outcome of the fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez are:

Power. Both are lethal punchers. Pacquiao has halted 29 foes in 41 bouts compared to Marquez‚ list of 33 KO victims in 44 outings. They‚re batting over 70 percent in knockout rate. Pacquiao, however, packs a more solid punch. He hits like a mule. Edge: Pacquiao.

Combinations. Marquez is a typical boxer-puncher. He fires rapid-fire combinations from a stand-up position. The Mexican likes to double up on his left jab, left hook and left uppercut. His left-right-left combination is devastating. Pacquiao relies less on his combinations to hurt opponents because he’s a deadlier one-punch knockout artist. Edge: Marquez.

Handspeed. Because Marquez is more of a combination boxer-puncher than a one-punch knockout artist, he has developed blinding handspeed. He throws punches from different angles and always in combinations. Edge: Marquez.

Ability to take a punch. Marquez has never been knocked out. He recovered from a knockdown to outpoint Darryl Pinckney. Marquez also got up from the canvas to floor Freddie Norwood but lost a decision. Pacquiao’s two losses were by knockout (to Rustico Torrecampo and Medgeon 3-K Battery). He’s been decked five times and Marquez, only twice. Edge: Marquez.

Stamina. The longer the fight, the better are Marquez’ chances to win. Marquez is a slow starter and likes to pace himself for a war of attrition. Pacquiao looks for the kill from the opening bell and expends a lot of energy in the early going. Edge: Marquez.

Accuracy. Marquez is known for his quality, not quantity, of punches. He picks his shots and his connection rate is usually high. Pacquiao, in contrast, throws a lot more blows and tries to overwhelm his foes with an avalanche of punches. Edge: Marquez.

Technique. Marquez is a ring technician. A former amateur fighter, he learned the ropes at an early age from legendary trainer Nacho Beristain. His fundamentals are sound. He is a craftsman who has mastered the art of the Sweet Science. Edge: Marquez.

Defense. Pacquiao tends to be careless when on the attack and often leaves himself open charging in. Marquez isn’t as reckless. He puts a premium on defense. Sometimes, it takes away from his offense. Edge: Marquez.

Footspeed. Pacquiao has learned to make use of his footspeed both for offense and defense. Trainer Freddie Roach has taught him how to dart in and out, dance side to side and hit and run. Marquez is not as quick on his feet. Edge: Pacquiao.

Guts. There’s no fighter who’s gutsier than Pacquiao in the lighter weight divisions. Courage is his trademark. He’s toughest under pressure. Edge: Pacquiao.

Resiliency. Making adjustments is key during a fight. Marquez had difficulty solving Julian Wheeler’s hit-and-run style at the onset but recovered to score a late knockout. Pacquiao couldn’t figure out Agapito Sanchez who used every dirty trick not in the book during their brawl and had to settle for a technical draw. Edge: Marquez.

Cornerwork. The opposing trainers are living legends. Roach and Beristain are in a class of their own. But Roach has more extensive experience dealing with all types of fighters on the world stage. Due to his limited English, Beristain has worked only with Hispanics. Edge: Pacquiao.

Intelligence. Marquez is a smart fighter but Pacquiao is smarter. The Filipino doesn’t miss a beat. He’s always on cue and prepared for a tactical fight. Edge: Pacquiao.

Hunger. Marquez is the defending two-title champion but hasn’t tasted a major payday. He’s looking for recognition and it will only come after beating Pacquiao. For the Filipino, Marquez is his ticket to a bigger payday against Erik Morales in July. Edge: Even.

Arsenal. Marquez throws a lot of punches—–hooks, uppercuts, straights and jabs. Pacquiao throws even more. His crosses are bone-crunchers. Pacquiao surprised Barrera with a variety of blows. He’ll surprise Marquez, too. Edge: Pacquiao.

Quality of opposition. Pacquiao has fought tougher foes than Marquez who feasted on the likes of washed-up Manuel Medina, late substitute Marcos Licona and willing victim Gainer in his latest outings. Edge: Pacquiao.

Ready for war. Pacquiao crammed over 130 rounds of sparring in six weeks of Spartan training. Marquez trained in seclusion in Mexico and sparred less than 100. They’re both prepared for war. Edge: Even.

Mobility. Pacquiao is more agile and more mobile than Marquez. He’s shiftier, too. A counterpuncher, Marquez stays in place and waits for his opponents to initiate the action. Edge: Pacquiao.

Focus. Both are determined to put on a good show. National pride is at stake. They’re both fighting for flag and country. Edge: Even.

Killer’s instinct. Pacquiao is unforgiving when going for the jugular. He senses when an opponent is hurt and is relentless in pursuing his prey. Edge: Pacquiao.

In sum, my tally shows Pacquiao ahead in nine categories and Marquez in eight with three even. It’ll be an exciting bout, no doubt. Pacquiao should be able to win by knockout, perhaps in five or six rounds, but it could go either way if the fight goes the distance.