PACQUIAO-MARQUEZ WORLDWIDE PROMO TOUR KICKS OFF IN MANILA
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 28 May 2011
An unprecedented worldwide promotional tour for the much-awaited trilogy between pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao and Mexican Legend Juan Manuel Marquez will kickoff in Manila and end in Mexico with the fighters visiting other world capitals in-between.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum told the Philippine Daily Inquirer ?we are going to do something special by organizing a worldwide tour which will kick off in the last week of August? as a buildup to the fight that will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on November 12.
Arum said ?we are hitting big capitals of the world and we are going to start in Manila and of course end in Mexico.?
Arum also indicated he expects Pacquiao to train for about eight weeks, beginning in mid-September, mainly at Freddie Roach?s Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Both Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach and strength and conditioning coach Alex Ariza have said this is the fight they have wanted all along because they are keen on shutting Marquez? mouth.
Roach was quoted by boxingscene.com saying ?It?s the fight I want. It?s the one we were asking for cause we want to shut them up and to prove they never get robbed. I know Manny Pacquiao has come along in weight and is a much more complete fighter now than he was back then. This is not an easy fight. I?m a little nervous by the fight, yes, but I?d love this fight better than (Floyd) Mayweather Jr.?
Ariza clarified however that wanting to shut Marquez?s mouth ?is the motivation but that doesn?t take anything away from my respect for Marquez as a fighter and a true warrior in the ring. I am a fan of his because of the way he fights.?
Ariza said that after watching Marquez?s fights against former champion David Diaz and challenger Michael Katsidis which were both action-packed bouts, ?how can you not admire the guy? He comes to fight and not to run.?
Taking an obvious dig at Shane Mosley who kept backpedaling after being dropped by Pacquiao in the third round of their showdown last May 7, the strength and conditioning coach said he didn?t like fighters "who keep saying I?m going to do this and I?m going to do that but when they enter the ring they just run. Marquez is not like that. He will come at you and won?t back off until he goes out on his shield. He?s got balls.?
Ariza said the Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy should once again spark a revival of interest after fight fans obvious disappointment over the Mosley fight where the jam-packed MGM Grand heard resounding booing for the first time in a Pacquiao fight although the boos were obviously directed at Mosley.
The first two fights between Pacquiao and Marquez were both close and controversial.By his own a dmission judge Burt Clements cost Pacquiao a victory in their first fight when he scored the first round 10-7 instead of 10-6 as the two other judges did after Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the opening round. Marquez, with the aid of Clements mistake, counter-punched his way and salvaged a draw.
In the second fight Pacquiao dropped Marquez in the third round which made the difference in his earning a controversial split decision victory to grab the WBC lightweight title from Marquez.
Since then Marquez has been urging Pacquiao to give him one more chance, claiming that he won both fights but didn?t get the judges decision. He even flew to Manila in April 2008 to personally try and convince Pacquiao to sign up for a trilogy.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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