Online betting players have a tough choice this Saturday; do they watch boxing or UFC? If you’re more of a boxing fan, keep reading. Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez meet Saturday in a battle between top-ranked pound-for-pound fighters. Is Marquez a legit challenge for Mayweather or will he become just another face in the crowd? Juan Manuel Marquez (55-4-1) is a tough opponent – fast, capable of knocking guys out and comfortable climbing weight classes. The big question, however, is if he brings anything to the table Mayweather (39-0) hasn’t seen before. Marquez is fast, but Mayweather is known for being the fastest guy around. Marquez has KO ability, but Mayweather has the nickname “Pretty Boy Floyd” for a reason; no one can hit him, so his face never gets touched when he fights. Even if Marquez does get a hand on Mayweather, it’s hard to say if he’ll do any damage; Mayweather is the bigger fighter, meaning he’ll feel Marquez’s shots less and inflict more damage with his own punches.
Some betting management experts think rustiness could be an X-factor going against Mayweather, who hasn’t fought for almost two years. But Marquez is 36, past his prime and four years older than Mayweather, so it’s tough to imagine him being the fresher fighter.
The Mayweather Marquez odds could shift if Marquez finds a way to outsmart Mayweather. He could try to assault him with body blasts, but plenty of Mayweather’s other opponents entered fights with that strategy only to whiff again and again as Mayweather avoided getting hit.
Though he’s been retired for a while, Mayweather still has a reason to be hungry; at 39-0, he’s 11 wins away from breaking Rocky Marciano’s perfect career mark of 49-0. If he could break that record – and beat Manny Pacquiao along the way – he’d retire among the sport’s all-time greats.
Go with Mayweather Jr. at -425 in your sports picks. He’s younger, bigger, faster, and hungrier than people may think.
