PACQUIAO- MARQUEZ II IS 90% SURE
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 27 Nov 2007
Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao has called the bluff of WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and has agreed to face the last Mexican standing in a rematch tentatively scheduled for March 15 next year.
Pacquiao who arrived from a quick weekend visit to Los Angeles for the shoot of a major Nike commercial which will initially be distributed in the Asia-Pacific region and a luncheon meeting with Top Rank Promoter Bob Arum indicated that chances were about 90 percent that he would fight Marquez after the Mexican claimed that Pacquiao was scared to fight him. Pacquiao insisted he was scared of nobody and his fight record proves it.
Pacquiao said that the details were being worked out between Arum and Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer who were scheduled to meet this week. Celebrated trainer Freddie Roach had earlier insisted that ?no decision has been made? following speculations in the Philippine media quoting alleged Pacquiao insiders as saying that Pacquiao and Arum had chosen to fight WBC lightweight champion David Diaz who is also handled by Top Rank.
Roach told Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today that there was ?absolutely no truth to the reports? of a Pacquiao-Diaz fight while Marquez himself was quoted by Greg Leon of Boxing Talk as saying ?we accepted their terms, now its up to Bob Arum and Pacquiao to decide if they are going to fight me or keep running.?
Earlier, Arum himself told us that Marquez and Schaefer had been ?very reasonable and had made concessions? which meant that Marquez was prepared to accept a purse lower than he initially wanted just so the fight could be made.
Schaefer in an email to us confirmed the meeting with Arum this week and disclosed that Pacquiao ?is the only one who knows? who his opponent will be.
Pacquiao?s friend and confidant Rex ?Wakee? Salud disclosed that the Marquez rematch was ?at least 80 percent sure? and that Pacquiao ?seems very happy? with the progress of the negotiations.
The overwhelming demand of fight fans and boxing writers as well as WBC president Don Jose Sulaiman is for a Pacquiao-Marquez rematch. In their first meeting Pacquiao decked Marquez three times in the first round but the Mexican fought back gallantly to salvage a somewhat controversial draw. Boxing fans have urged Pacquiao to face-off with Marquez and settle the score once and for all and it seems the Filipino ring warrior is about ready to do just that.
Initial reaction of fight fans on the philboxing.com website was one of elation that Pacquiao had listened to the advice of Roach and the sentiments of his supporters and boxing fans in general and would fight Marquez. Internationally well-known matchmaker Samson Lewkowicz said he wanted Pacquiao to fight Marquez and ?shut his mouth? even though Marquez is a Golden Boy fighter and Lewkowicz is part of the Golden Boy family.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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