?IT?S MY CHANCE NOW?
David Diaz: No to Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy
By Alex P. Vidal
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 17 Mar 2008
LAS VEGAS ? Excited by the prospect of being tapped to be the next opponent of World Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight champion Manny Pacquiao, WBC lightweight king David Diaz passionately rejected the possibility of a third meeting between Pacquiao and former world champion Juan Manuel Marquez.
In a post fight press conference arranged by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions inside the media center of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino March 15 evening, Diaz said: ?How can he (Pacquiao) just fight (with a face) like that?? referring to the cut suffered by the Filipino ring idol in his 12-round split decision win over Marquez.
?It?s my chance now, they have already fought twice,? said the Chicago-based Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KOs), who scored a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Ramon Montano (15-4-2, 1 KO) of this city in a non-title bout underneath the ?Unfinished Business? main event.
Diaz?s mastery over Montano in the first pay-per-view bout in the evening solidified his credentials for the Pacquiao joust.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum earlier said Pacquiao?s next fight will be against Diaz on June 28 for Diaz?s WBC belt. The fight was originally scheduled in Macau, Arum explained, but there is a big possibility it will be held again in again in Mandalay Bay.
?Of course, we must first consult the doctor (if Pacquaio can fight on June 28 as he had two nasty superficial cuts on the right eyelid that required 10 stitches),? said the 76-year-old Arum.
Meanwhile, Arum applauded the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch calling it ?a remarkable fight.?
Golden Boy Promotions top executive Richard Schaefer, Marquez?s promoter, described the match as ?hell of a fight and we can?t take it away from both guys.?
?But I believe strongly, very strongly that this fight should have gone to the defending champion,? Schaefer said. ?Very sadly that a week before the fight, a judged was changed.?
He was referring to Vic Flaherty who was replaced by Tom Miller of Mineral Ridge, Ohio.
Arum, however, justified the replacement saying it was approved by both the WBC and the Nevada State Athletic Commission. ?We have to learn to live with close decisions,? Arum argued.
He said, ?Freddie Roach, in fact, is to be commended for being an honest guy.?
Arum said Flaherty was a friend of Roach?s family ?and it would have been more controversial if he was not replaced (because of the split decision).?
Miller scored 114-113 for Pacquiao. Duane Ford also saw Pacquiao the winner, 115-112, while Jerry Roth gave the fight to Marquez, 115-112.
?A great fight that was given to Pacquiao wrongfully,? said Schaefer.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Alex P. Vidal.
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