Signs point to a Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 10 May 2011
LOS ANGELES, Ca. ? Unless Floyd Mayweather Jr. changes his mind and agrees to fight pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, all indications point to Juan Manuel Marquez as the Filipino ring sensation?s next opponent.
After Pacquiao's demolition of World Boxing Organization welterweight title pretender Sugar Shane Mosley last Saturday, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum mentioned that Marquez, whom Pacquiao had fought twice, will most-likely be the next in line in a confrontation that may be held November 5 or November 11 in Las Vegas.
The Harvard-graduate lawyer-promoter also cited other names like Timothy Bradley and Zab Judah, but insinuated the Mexican boxing hero could be it due to the numerous advantages the fight could offer in terms of history and money, having battled Pacquiao to a split-draw in May of 2004 and losing a hotly-contested split-decision almost four years later in March of 2008.
Even Pacquiao?s outspoken trainer Freddie Roach, who earlier had opposed a fight with Marquez, has changed tune, admitting to a few Filipino sportswriters who visited him at his Wild Card Gym in downtown Hollywood here his approval of the fight.
Both of the previous Pacquiao-Marquez duels were high-octane affairs that could have went either way that even at this present days, the Mexico City native believes he won those 12-rounders and stands firm in his belief that he was the better man after twelve rounds each time out.
He has been very vocal, in fact that he has what it takes to win in a fight that would complete what could another high-wired trilogy in the magnitude of an Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier and Pacquiao-Morales showdowns.
This, plus the fact that Marquez is willing to fight Pacquiao anytime and anywhere unlike Mayweather who looks prepare to do battle through press statements instead of atop the ring.
"Everybody knows I want this fight with Manny but I need to wait and decide," Marquez, who even went to the Philippines to pursue his case, stated rather cautiously in statement earlier made to newsmen.
Pacquiao's two fights with Marquez were at 126 and 130 pounds, respectively, before the Filipino shocked the boxing world by fighting two to three weight divisions higher against bigger men with shattering success in recent years - knockouts over Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto, and Oscar De La Hoya.
Marquez believes he enjoys an advantage in technique and intelligent. "I have done it twice and I think I could do it a third time. I think I could beat him."
Standing in the way though is his contract with the Golden Boy Promotions of De La Hoya which is being re-negotiated. "I need to see what happens with my contract," Marquez elaborated. I've been with Golden Boy but maybe I would never fight with Manny. Because everybody knows the relation with the promoters, Bob Arum and Golden Boy, isn't good."
Should the Pacquiao-Marquez third fight materializes, he said he need a tune up, probably against Chicago's David Diaz, once proud owner of the WBC lightweight crown, Arum said he will submit a new offer to the management team of the lightweight champion, which Golden Boy has the right to match the offer.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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