By Lem Satterfield

If Juan Manuel Marquez wants a trilogy fight with Manny Pacquiao, he has to prove himself at a higher weight division. Last Saturday in Las Vegas, Marquez picked up a one-sided twelve round decision over Juan Diaz. The fight was held at 135-pounds and Marquez weighed in, the previous day, at 133.5. Two divisions north, Pacquiao has become a solid welterweight with wins over bigger men like Oscar De La Hoya, Joshua Clottey and Miguel Cotto. Pacquiao is now going to make catch-weight leap to junior middleweight to fight Antonio Margarito on November 13.

Beating Diaz in a rematch is not impressive enough to make a third fight with Pacquiao, at welterweight, a legitimate sell to the boxing public.

"He has performed well at the lower weights.But a 135-pound victory over Juan Diaz is not impressive. Now, that's because -- and let's be honest -- Diaz really lost two fights in a row with Paulie Malignaggi because the first decision was controversial even though that one went in Diaz's favor. But the second one with Malignaggi, Malignaggi beat him worse than Marquez did," Arum said. 

"So, I would say that to make a legitimate sell for a fight with Manny Pacquiao, that Marquez has to fight a welterweight or even a junior welterweight who, if he defeats, is a real accomplishment."

A few days ago, Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who promotes Marquez, felt a win over reigning WBA 140-pound champion Amir Khan was a big enough accomplishment to make the trilogy fight with Pacquiao.

Arum disagrees with Schaefer's position. A win over Khan is good, but not enough to get him a Pacquiao fight. To get a fight with Pacquiao, Marquez has to take a much bigger risk against a much tougher opponent, says Arum.

"Well, I'll throw out three or four names. If he were to fight [WBC welterweight champion] Andre Berto, if he were to fight Joshua Clottey, or he could fight [WBO junior welterweight king] Tim Bradley, or he could fight [WBC and IBF titlist] Devon Alexander," Arum said. "Any of those four. And if he beats one of them, now he can say, 'I can compete at the higher weights with Manny Pacquiao.'

"Not really an Amir Khan, no. I don't think that Amir Khan really would establish that. It would certainly move him a little bit closer, you know. With a bigger guy. But not really. Look, Pacquiao fought Clottey, and he totally dominated Clottey. If Marquez fought Clottey, who would you pick as the favorite in the fight? But if he then beat Clottey, that would be great. Or if he then beat Berto, that would be great. Then you and everyone else could say, 'Man, this guy really is something, and could give Manny a good fight.'"

Arum brought up his trilogy negotiations with Schaefer, which took place earlier this year. Schaefer made, what Arum felt, was an unrealistic demand for a 50-50 split on the money and an additional demand for random drug testing.

"When we were in a bind after the Mayweather negotiations fell through the first time, I went to Richard Schaefer. And I said, 'Look, we'll fight Marquez, because I hadn't thought of Clottey.' And I said, 'We'll fight Marquez.' And Schaefer said, to me 'Well it has to be 50-50 and with random drug testing.' In effect, he told me no. That was insulting with Marquez," Arum said.

Lem Satterfield is the boxing editor at AOL FanHouse and the news editor at BoxingScene.com. To read more from Lem Satterfield, go to AOL FanHouse by Clicking Here.