By Chris Williams: WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38 KO’s) is tentatively scheduled to face 34-year-old Erik Morales (51-6, 35 KO’s) on April 9th at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. This isn’t the fight that the 37-year-old Marquez wants, however. He wants to fight Manny Pacquiao a third time after appearing to have beaten him the last time they fought in 2008. Marquez lost the fight by a controversial 12 round split decision but has had no luck in getting Pacquiao and his promoter Bob Arum to want to fight him again.
But things could turn around for Marquez if he suddenly starts looking shot in the same way that Shane Mosley did recently. Mosley lost it entirely in his last two fights, and was given a fight with Pacquiao. Before that, when Mosley was fighting well, he couldn’t get the time of day with Pacquiao. It’s sad that Mosley had to get to this point in his career so that he could get a fight. We may see the same thing with Marquez if he suddenly loses it against Morales on 4/9. It’s doubtful that Marquez will become shot over night, especially against a totally shot fighter like Morales but stranger things have happened.
Ideally, it would be great for Marquez to get the fight with Pacquiao immediately after the Morales fight no matter how Marquez looks. However, I don’t think it will work that way. I think Marquez will have to become the next Mosley in terms of being shot before he gets a fight against Pacquiao. If he looks dangerous and with his skills still intact, I don’t see Marquez getting the Pacquiao fight anytime soon. It might take another year or three of aging for Marquez to get to the point where he’s resembling Mosley in terms of being shot.
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