By Manuel Perez: Now that Manny Pacquiao has a huge mega-fight with Oscar De La Hoya coming up, and possibly another big money fight following that one against Ricky Hatton, I doubt more and more that Pacquiao will ever risk facing Juan Manual Marquez (49-4-1, 36 KOs) again. Twice they’ve gone at it, with the first fight resulting in a draw and the second a close 12-round split decision win for Pacquiao in March. As much as I like Pacquiao as a fighter, I think he’s been extremely fortunate to have escaped losing to Marquez on both occasions. And because of this, I think Pacquiao is going to steer around Marquez for the remainder of his career, making sure that he stays well clear of him to avoid facing a potential embarrassing loss.
Pacquiao wants to be paid well for a bout against Marquez, and apparently he believes that Marquez simply wants too much money to make the fight possible. However, other than fights against De La Hoya or Hatton, Marquez is the only other fighter near the same size as Pacquiao that can bring in big money. Of course, Pacquiao can always continue fighting opponents bigger than him if he does well against De La Hoya, and stay in the welterweight division.
Those fighters simply have far too much size for him, resulting in him almost definitely getting chopped down by one of them. This leaves lightweights Edwin Valero, Humberto Soto, Nate Campbell and Joan Guzman as possible opponents for Pacquiao, but I doubt that any of them, with the exception of Campbell, would bring in the big money that Marquez would. In the case of Campbell, I seriously doubt that Pacquiao would want to risk his neck fighting a tough lightweight like him.
If he did, I think Pacquiao would have chosen him immediately upon moving up to the lightweight division rather than WBC champion David Diaz, a fighter that few people hold in the same regard as the dangerous Campbell. While I can see Pacquiao fighting Valero and possibly Soto, he’d be wasting his time if his intent was getting big money. He needs to face Marquez if he wants that to happen. Perhaps after De La Hoya beats Pacquiao, we may end up seeing him turn his attention to Marquez, but I doubt it. I think Pacquiao is just afraid of Marquez after being made to look mortal twice by him.
Many sportswriters including fans in the U.S feel that Pacquiao was given a lucky break - read: given a gift decision - in the second fight and should have also lost the first fight with Marquez. Showing much better boxing skills than Pacquiao, Marquez looked to have controlled both fighters other than the rounds in which he was knocked down. It’s unfortunate, though, that Pacquiao doesn’t want to give him a rematch so that he can prove who is the better fighter between the two of them.
September 19th, 2008 at 4:58 am
come on..cry baby cry!!.. haha.. your hero does very well against pacquiao, he’s a good canvas kisser..proved it 4 times.. tell ya’ he’s also an excellent dancer, he did the chicken dance pretty well..haha.. manny is never afraid of anyone.. look the way he fights. he never stops coming forward.. he already conquered legends and even got the balls on fighting the very huge ODLH.. manny called out marquez for a rematch after the draw, but JMM chickened out and opted to fight chris john.. the first fight shouldn’t be a draw if not for judge’s fault having scored the first round one knockdown less.. lucky break for marquez.. that should have been 2-0 for pacquiao in their fight series..
September 19th, 2008 at 6:15 am
Just accept the fact that manny beat JMM. That’s it… move on man..
September 19th, 2008 at 6:44 am
Marquez has been robbed twice against pac. It doesn’t take a genius to work out that in the first fight the first round went 10-7 pac then the majority of the remaining rounds went 10-9 to marquez. Aside from the knockdown in the second fight, Marquez pretty much controlled it and had pac is serious trouble in the mid rounds. Fact is Pac was the bigger name coming into both those fights so he got two gift decisions. Now people are appreciating how good Marquez is and marquez has a big-time promoter (golden boy), pac knows he won’t be so lucky with the judges in his next fight. Marquez has his number plain and simple. Who’s achievement in the lightweight division was more impressive-Pac against the weakest beltholder or Marquez against the lineal champ who’d never been ko’d before? Hmm I wonder…
September 19th, 2008 at 7:52 am
Pacman has beaten Marquez twice. There is no question about that. If they fight again, it is more of the same. Close fight. Marquez will renew his love for canvass again. He will whine. Go to Pac’s country and beg for another fight. Marquez’s life should not revolve around Pacquiao. He should move as Pac has moved. He should challenge the big names in 135 like Diaz, Campbell, Sta. Cruz, etc. After Pac fights Hatton, who knows? Their paths could cross again.
September 19th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Look the first fight was a DRAW remember????? and the second fight Pacman won by only 1 point
September 19th, 2008 at 3:13 pm
i am a pacman fan and i really wanted to see a third fight with marquez coz those two fights were too close to call..pacquiao finds jmm a difficult opponent because he’s a ‘contrapelo’, as we say here in the philippines..forget about the money pacman..fight marquez after dela hoya..just to prove that you are better than him.
September 19th, 2008 at 11:40 pm
pacman hadlok ni marquez
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:46 am
is this a biased article or what. The second fight of the two resulted in a loss for Marquez where it was clear as sunshine that he got beaten by Pacman thoroughly. Whats the point of fighting this guy again. Mexican fans and people need to stop hating on pacman and being sore loosers about it. We cant have 100 fights between two fighters so that you guys can take your revenge. Marquez got his shot and lost.