SULAIMAN SAYS PACQUIAO CANNOT CALL HIMSELF THE BEST
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 01 Nov 2007
WBC president Jose Sulaiman says Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao ?cannot call himself the best until he beats (Juan Manuel) Marquez?, the reigning WBC super featherweight champion.
Well known boxing writer James Blears of Boxing Scene informed Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that Sulaiman told him ?when time passes and Manny wants to review history he will not find his name as champion of the world in these years. He?ll see Juan Manuel Marquez there but not him. And he might like the money very, very much but when he gets older, he?ll look for pride and satisfaction.?
Blears indicated that Sulaiman who will arrive in Manila next week for the WBC Convention at the Manila Hotel isn?t hopeful of a Pacquiao-Marquez fight any time soon saying ?I have my doubts.? Sulaiman said ?I do not see much enthusiasm in the Pacquiao camp to fight Marquez. I see enthusiasm in the Marquez camp. They mention it continually. He really wants to fight Manny.?
The WBC president noted that after defeating Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera in a rematch, Pacquiao has not mentioned fighting Marquez which he said ?is very strange to me.?
Sulaiman clamed ?the problem here is not Pacquiao?s wishes. It?s the money and the people that talk to him.? Sulaiman challenged Pacquiao saying ?if he wants to live forever with the respect of the whole world, he?s got to come out of that cave to defeat Marquez.?
However, it was noted that Marquez has a tough battle against rugged Rocky Juarez on November 3 but if he wins then questions about a much-anticipated rematch will emerge.
Sulaiman said the problems posed by Marquez whose superb counter-punching negated the three knockdowns he suffered in the opening round where Pacquiao also hit Marquez while he was down but wasn?t even cautioned, showed that ?there?s no more difficult fighter today for Pacquiao than an excellent boxer like Marquez. If you put a bull-like fighter against Manny he?ll destroy him. But if you put a matador-style boxer then I don?t know.?
Earlier, the editor-in-chief of the ?Bible? of boxing, Ring Magazine, Nigel Collins told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today he ?gets the feeling that there are people on Pacquiao?s promotional team who don?t want the Marquez rematch.? Collins added that Pacquiao is ?a guaranteed money-maker so why take the risk when just as much money can be made against easier opponents??
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