After Top Rank boss Bob Arum confirmed that Manny Pacquiao will take on old rival Juan Manuel Marquez for a third time earlier this week, the news was met with a mixture of responses from both the fans and media alike.
Those who believe that Marquez should have been given the decision in one or both of the previous fights, the news was welcomed if long overdue.
Similarly to those who believe Pacquiao has unfinished business and needs to beat Marquez for a second time to finally remove all doubt as to who is the better fighter, this was a fight that had to happen sooner or later.
For those hoping that Pacquiao would instead take on the likes of Tim Bradley or perhaps Zab Judah, Marquez was perceived as a disappointment, to some the latest in a long line.
Marquez will be 38 by the time November rolls around, and undoubtedly his skills and reflexes have started to erode to some degree.
Making matters worse is the fact that on the only other occasion he attempted to fight above lightweight in the past, he looked a step off the pace and was dominated by Floyd Mayweather.
Manny Pacquiao meanwhile has triumphed as high as junior middleweight, and will enter the ring a better fighter than the one Marquez fought at super featherweight.
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Of course, to some degree Pacqiao will be criticized whoever he fights.
His fame and standing in the sport means that there are always plenty of names calling him out and numerous fighters who some will argue deserve a chance to fight him.
In most cases, there are reasons why most of those fighters will never get their chance, often reasons completely out of either fighter's hands.
Some don't have enough drawing power to make them an attractive option for Top Rank or to make a pay per view viable. Others are signed with rival promoters such as Golden Boy and as such are effectively off limits. In some cases weight classes are the issue.
Often then, more than half of the names people might like to see Pacquiao take on aren't realistic options.
Floyd Mayweather is currently inactive, and negotiations between he and Pacquiao have proven fruitless in the past. Victor Ortiz is a Golden Boy fighter. Andre Berto recently lost. Sergio Martinez is too big. Tim Bradley has no drawing power, and has his upcoming promotional free-agency to think about.
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As much as the tables might be stacked against Marquez then, he remains probably the best of the very few viable options available.
Firstly his style is very effective against Pacquiao's, as his two controversial bouts with the Filipino can attest to.
Equally as importantly after the Mosley fight, Marquez has felt Pacquiao's power before, and to some degree knows what to expect. We can therefore assume that he won't clam up like Joshua Clottey or shy away like Shane Mosley did, even if he isn't getting the better of the exchanges.
That alone then should mean that Marquez will be able to offer a more compelling and competitive bout than most of Pacquiao's recent opponents. And if there is one thing that both Pacquiao and the fans need after watching Shane Mosley's 9 round retreat, it's an opponent who will give him problems.
Sean Astley, Pitt: "If Marquez can take the punches it might be a close fight, he doesn't defend as well as he used to though. Then again Pac hasn't fought an opponent who could figure him out in years"
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