PACQUIAO-MARQUEZ REMATCH MAY BE ANNOUNCED AT WBC CONVENTION
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 06 Nov 2007
Games and Amusements Board chairman Eric Buhain is hoping that a much-awaited rematch between Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao and reigning WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez may be announced during the WBC Annual Convention which opens in Manila next Monday.
In an interview with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Buhain said ?it would be great. It would be a big story? if an agreement for a rematch could be reached between Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer and Top Rank?s Bob Arum who have already discussed a possible rematch. He said Arum is expected in Manila during the convention.
Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the opening round in their first clash in May 2004 but the counter-punching Mexican was able to recover and salvage a draw. After Marquez and Pacquiao both beat Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera, fight fans have been clamoring for a Pacquiao-Marquez rematch that would settle the score.
Schaefer indicated that he and Arum are scheduled to meet in New York for the Miguel Cotto-Sugar Shane Mosley fight and will have ?further negotiations with him (Arum) on the possible Pacquiao-Marquez rematch.? In fact Arum told us some time ago that he expected Pacquiao to be in New York for the fight so they could find out what he wanted. Marquez has made it clear he wants Pacquiao to prove that he is a ?Mexican killer? given his string of victories over Erik ?El Terrible? Morales, Barrera, Jorge Solis, Emmanuel Lucero and others.
In an overseas telephone conversation prior to the Marquez-Rocky Juarez fight on Sunday, Manila Time, De La Hoya told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today ?the fact of the matter is the people want to see Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao. That?s the fight they want to see. Everybody that I ask, everybody that I talk to, that?s the fight that has to happen. It would be unjust to the boxing fans not to have a Marquez fight. Obviously their first fight was a very exciting fight where they had a draw so it would be fair to everyone to make that fight happen.?
De La Hoya said he was confident a Pacquiao-Marquez rematch would draw big numbers ?because Marquez is the only Mexican still standing to try and get revenge against Pacquiao so that?s a very interesting story.?
Buhain said it would be ?a very, very big fight for the WBC belt? even as he expressed confidence the WBC board will vote unanimously to see it happen. Sulaiman himself told us that Pacquiao has to think of his legacy and that unless he wins a world title belt and proves his superiority over Marquez he cannot be called the best super featherweight.
Ring Magzine editor-in-chief Nigel Collins also supported moves for a Pacquiao-Marquez rematch but said he believes some people in Team Pacquiao dont want the fight to happen because Pacquiao can still make good money fighting easier opponents.
Buhain who watched the Marquez-Juarez fight which was telecast by ABS-CBN said while Marquez was ?technically sound he was fighting a much shorter guy? but Pacquiao was a different proposition. Buhain who was WBC official supervisor at the Pacquiao-Barrera rematch said Pacquiao ?now has a very big right and I saw him lift Barrera off the canvas. I think he is going to be too much for Marquez.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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