By: James Blears

WBA and IBF Featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez was first choice to fight Filipino sensation for a second helping of the thrilla, but Marquez blew it, over money demands.

That was the clear message of  Top Rank President Todd DuBoef, who was in Mexico City for the presser between Manny and Erik Morales.

Todd put it this way: “Obviously, the fight we wanted to make was Marquez and Pacquiao. The money on the table was from HBO.  Juan Manuel thinks the value should have been much higher. It wasn’t what he wanted. There’s nothing we could have done. We tried going to HBO to get more money. They wouldn’t do it, and so now the prospect for Juan Manuel Marquez is to see what happens in this fight, keep him active, and when our contract’s up, if he wants to go somewhere, then that’s his choice.

“We are going to have discussions with him, about what he wants to do. But more than anything, I think he’s a little disappointed that he passed on a fight that he shouldn’t have passed on.

“Our number one goal was to make Marquez V Pacquiao, and three quarters of a million dollars is a lot of money.”

Todd was also quick to mention the Tartan Menace WBO Featherweight Champion Scott Harrison and the possibility of him fighting Pacquiao, Marquez or Morales. Todd enthused:
“I would love to do it. Frank Maloney was actually in Las Vegas for the Morales V Barrera fight with Scott Harrison. That might be the next move for Juan Manuel Marquez.

“Scott Harrison is an awkward fighter. He’s got long arms, and he’s a very good and very strong fighter. And I think he should be in the mix with all the big featherweights.”

But Todd also cautioned that the lure of Las Vegas, and certainly the USA is where Harrison’s future glory lies. He commented:

“If you want to play in the big leagues and you want to be a world recognized fighter, you’ve got to travel.  Where ever it is with the big forum.”

Promoter Murad Muhammad who was also at the Mexico City event, and was paying Manny 900,000 dollars for the Marquez clash had this to say:

“Marquez has a promoter, and I assume he had to get paid, and I understand that Top Rank had investments in Marquez.  However, Marquez is not a bad guy, and I understand why he asked for much more.  But it has nothing to do with emotions or what both boxers feel about what they’ve done in the ring. The networks are not in the boxing business. They’re in the rating business. You have to bring ratings, and it just so happened that Marquez V Pacquiao did not bring the HBO ratings.  In order to be an HBO commodity, you have to at least hit a six. We did less than a five.  But they understand that I will not bring you somebody that won’t escalate and be an asset to you. So HBO gambled with us with Manny Pacquiao, and that was Manny’s date.
 
“We felt it was necessary to bring Marquez back and we did. But Marquez priced himself out, so Bob Arum and I sat down, and I said let’s go to Erik Morales.

“We called Erik Morales and he said BRING IT ON. We called Manny Pacquiao and he said BRING IT ON.

“I think Marquez is truly a champion. He’s got great heart and great ability, and I think what he needs to do is to bide time and he’ll be back, because we want to fight him.

“I think he owes Top Rank a couple more fights and my suggestion to him was to fulfill his obligations.

“NOW I’M GOING TO TELL YOU SOMETHING NO ONE KNOWS. He came to me and wanted me to take over his career and I said there’s two things I don’t do.  In the industry I don’t interfere in anyone’s contract, and in my private life I don’t mess with anyone’s wife. So if you’ve got a contract, live up to the contract.

“I say this to Marquez. The only threat to him is Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Manny Pacquiao.”