By Chris Williams: WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao is hoping to beat Juan Manuel Marquez beyond a shadow of a doubt this time in their third and he hopes final bout against the Mexican warrior at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada on November 12th.

Pacquiao fought Marquez in 2004 and 2008, getting a draw and what many boxing fans saw as a gift decision. Actually, a lot of fans think Marquez should have won both fights, and I’m in agreement with that. But Pacquiao is in a much better position to actually beat him this time, because Marquez is 38-years-old now, slower, and the fight will take place at 144 lbs – a fighting weight that is two divisions above where Marquez has been fighting. Those are some pretty big advantages that Pacquiao has going for him in this fight. It’s going to be hard for Marquez to overcome those positives.

Pacquiao said this to AP about a fourth fight between him and Marquez: “It won’t happen…This is a fight that will answer all the questions.”

Well, Pacquiao is in a good position by waiting for three years to finally fight Marquez again. It’s got to help now with Marquez nearing 40 now, around the same age as Pacquiao’s last opponent, 39-year-old Shane Mosley. Pacquiao didn’t face Mosley earlier when he was still fighting well. By the time Pacquiao did fight him, Mosley was old, and showing serious signs of being totally shot.

Marquez isn’t fighting as poorly as Mosley, but he definitely is slowing down. Marquez looked terrible two years ago in a lopsided loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. when Marquez bulked up to 143 lbs to take the fight. He showed in that fight that fighting over 140 is physically too much for his body.

It was a wise decision for Pacquiao to agree to fight Marquez over 140, because it’s almost a given that Marquez will struggle. This won’t be the same Marquez that Pacquiao fought in 2004 and 2008, not with the advanced age going against him and fighting well above his normal fighting weight for the lightweight division. But heck, the casual boxing fans probably won’t have a clue and think this is a prime Marquez fighting at his normal weight.