Mayweather v Marquez

The body of boxing is stacked between 135 and 147lbs; already this year we have seen 'Sugar' Shane Moseley reclaim his spot atop the welterweight division by dismantling Antonio Margarito, Juan Manuel Marquez overpower Juan Diaz to confirm his dominance at Lightweight, Amir Khan rejuvenate his young career with victories over Marco Antonio Barrera and Andreas Kotelnick, Miguel Cotto outlast Joshua Clottey, and pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao destroy Ricky Hatton inside two rounds.

Pacquiao and Cotto will meet in a heavily anticipated bout in November, a contest confirmed after Floyd Mayweather injured his ribs in training and had to postpone his own compelling match-up with Marquez, originally scheduled for July 18th. The pair will finally meet this weekend at a catchweight of 144lbs.

Mayweather has been absent from the sport for nearly two years, his last fight ending in victory over -at the time - fellow undefeated multi-weight champion, Ricky Hatton. He retreated to develop his promotional company, citing a lack of competition and big fights on the horizon but the landscape is much altered; rivals De la Hoya and Baldomir have retired, Gatti is dead and Hatton is close to irrelevancy. Manny Pacquiao, who was fighting at 130lbs the last time Mayweather fought, has bounded to the peak of the pugilistic mountain, winning and winning well.

Mayweather, the former undisputed pound-for-pound champion, would desperately love that title returned to him, indeed it's a fight with Pacquiao that would seem to be driving his restoration. 'Money' Mayweather is flashy, brazen and driven by dollar signs but it's his public perception and legacy that motivate his competitive instinct - while he is happy to declare himself the best ever, he's less happy that he has to continue to remind us of the fact. A victory over either Pacquiao or Cotto - ideally Pacquiao - would cement his spot as the dominant fighter of his era and limit the critics.

But first, there's Marquez.

The Mexican has won his last two fights at 135lbs -against quality operators - and has developed into one of the better technicians in the game. His only defeats this decade have come against Chris John at Featherweight in 2006 and to Manny Pacquiao at Super Featherweight last year, both on points and both in controversial fashion. Marquez also drew with Pac-man back in 2004 and, in many people's minds, should have won both fights. A win for 36-year old, currently ranked no. 2 in The Ring magazine pound-for-pound rankings, would likely catapult him into another superfight in the spring, possibly in a continuation of his rivalry with the Phillipino.

Pacquiao, seemingly linked to this fight at every turn, has proven his ability to move up the weight divisions, defeating larger, stronger opponents whilst retaining his speed and mobility. That will be the challenge for Marquez. Despite fighting most of his 16-year career at Featherweight, he has looked commanding at both Super Featherweight (130lbs) and Lightweight (135lbs) but will be fighting a man who has long since outgrown such weight classes. Mayweather has beaten the best at 140 and 147lbs, outclassing the majority of his adversaries, and beat De la Hoya at 154lbs.

Marquez will have to overcome the size, reach and experience of Mayweather and, presuming there is no ring rust for the perma-fit 'Pretty Boy,' cannot match the speed and power of his assailant. Where Marquez can challenge is with his heart, his endurance and his perseverance. His biggest advantage may simply be that Mayweather hasn't been hit in almost two years.

For both men, this is a pivotal moment in their career; Marquez may seem to have nothing to lose but, if defeated, will probably never have the opportunity to either fight for the pound-for-pound title or battle nemesis Pacquiao again. The returning Mayweather may not be back in the ring for too long - three, possibly four fights - and needs to win on Saturday night to remain unbeaten and to remain in pole position for a fight with Pacquiao (or Cotto, and what a fight that should be).

Floyd has long felt unloved and under appreciated. He has capably played the 'bad guy' in the build up to recent fights but has been nothing but respectful for his opponent on this occasion, praising the tenacity and desire of Marquez

And there can be no disputing that. He has been floored, battered and survived, generally improving as his fights have endured. However, for all his indomitability and fight, it's Mayweather that has the motivation, not to mention the talent, to win. His legacy demands it.