Juan Manuel Marquez, Beltran To Sit Down To Discuss Return

By Miguel Rivera

Former four division world champion Juan Manuel Marquez, who will turn 44 years old this month , was training to reappear on August 19 after more than three years of inactivity, but a left shoulder injury delayed his eventual return to the ring.

Promoter Fernando Beltran of Zanfer Promotions is working closely with Marquez. He has a set date and a location, but he's yet to receive verbal confirmation from Marquez to solidify the show.

"I do not want to be irresponsible with a statement. If he wants to fight, we will be with him and if he does not want to fight, we'll support him as well. I can not answer if he will fight or not, because I have not spoken to Juan Manuel. We already had a date, but at this moment we have not talked... we will do so this week and whatever he decides we will support," Beltran said.

Márquez fought for the last time on May 17, 2014 - when he stepped in the ring against former world champion Mike Alvarado in Los Angeles and got off the floor to win a twelve round unanimous decision.

Beltran said that Marquez is an athlete and "as a boxer he is probably the only one in the world who knows" what decision he will take.

"He is a complete boxer, he does not lead a dissipated life and the best test of his age is to see if he can still go up to the ring and fight," Beltran said.

In the end, the promoter, who visited the Mexican capital with World Boxing Council (WBC) super featherweight champion Miguel Berchelt , expressed his desire: "I would like to see him (Juan Manuel) once more."

In his 24-year career, Márquez has recorded a solid record of 56 wins, 40 of them by way of knockout, 7 losses and a draw.