Pacquiao vs Marquez IV: Juan Manuel Marquez happy enough with judges for fourth fight

Juan Manuel Marquez has certainly had his complaints over the last eight years with how his fights against Manny Pacquiao have been scored in Nevada, but the 39-year-old Mexican star appears pretty well pleased with the selection of officials for their fourth fight on December 8 -- and figures this time, the judges will be paying extra close attention:

"The judges will be in the eye of the hurricane. They'll be being watched closely by television reporters, by the people, not to be exposed to another controversial ruling. That leaves me quiet."

The officials selected are referee Kenny Bayless, and judges Adelaide Byrd (Nevada), Steve Weisfeld (New Jersey), and John Keane (England). None of those three judges has ever worked a Pacquiao-Marquez fight before, and Bayless was the referee for their second fight in 2008.

Marquez (54-6-1, 39 KO) promises to be more explosive this time out, and he is sticking with the story that he's looking for a knockout, but when it comes down to it, I think you can expect the same sort of chess match you saw last time out. Probably, anyway -- this could also be Marquez's last stand, as he's advancing in age and has been racking up retirement fund paydays in the latter part of his career, dating back to 2009 when he faced Floyd Mayweather, and he might really come out guns blazing, which has historically forced Pacquiao to meet fire with fire.