It’s another shot to beat Pacquiao

LAS VEGAS -- At Olvera Street this week, an estimated 1,000 mostly Latino boxing fans showed up for a publicity event hyping tonight’s super-featherweight world title fight between Mexico’s latest hope to defeat the respected but despised Filipino Manny Pacquiao.

Paramount’s Daniel Morales, 28, expressed a common sentiment found in the crowd: “Pacquiao’s a good fighter, but he deserves a [rear] whippin’.”

Juan Manuel Marquez, Mexico’s reigning World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion, embraces his countrymen’s hopes that he’ll topple this era’s “Mexican Assassin” at Mandalay Bay Events Center.

After fighting Pacquiao to a compelling draw in 2004 that had him rally from three first-round knockdowns, Marquez (48-3-1, 35 knockouts) watched Mexico legends Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera have their careers essentially closed in one-sided losses to Pacquiao.

“Our first fight’s in the past, but I’ll put my heart, mind and soul into this fight, and this victory will be for all the Mexican fans,” said Marquez, who stands as more than a 2-1 underdog in the Las Vegas sports books but was the weigh-in crowd’s favorite when he came in at the 130-pound limit Friday. Pacquiao weighed 129 pounds.

Internally, Marquez’s handlers strategize the best chance to beat Pacquiao is to weather the first four rounds of his “freight train” attack, and then rely on Marquez’s superb conditioning built in the mountains above Mexico City to win either by decision or knockout.

“Juan’s a better technical boxer,” said Marquez’s trainer, Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain. “We’ll do a perfect fight, without any errors. You saw it toward the end of the first fight, Juan clearly had the better stamina.”

Pacquiao (45-3-2, 34 KOs) has sought to ensure his lasting power by devoting more time to training in Hollywood for this bout than he did in his last two uninspired fights against Jorge Solis and Barrera.

“Manny’s in great shape, and is very motivated,” said Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer.

If Marquez wins, he owes Pacquiao an immediate rematch. If Pacquiao wins, he’ll next fight David Diaz for the WBC lightweight title June 28.

“I know the [Latino] people love Marquez. He’s a good fighter, a warrior,” Pacquiao said. “This is a hard fight. I know it, that’s why I trained my best.

“I don’t like to be called the ‘Mexican Assassin.’ It just so happens there’s a lot of Mexicans in this division. I’m just a fighter doing my job, and my character is to fight hard. That’s what I’ll do.”

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lance.pugmire@latimes.com

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PACQUIAO-MARQUEZ II

* What: Super-featherweight title fight (pay per view).

* When: Today, 6 p.m.

* Where: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas.