By Jhonny Gonzalez
Former champion and featherweight contender Rafael Marquez (39-6, 35KOs) is planning to return in March. He's been out of the ring since a November TKO loss to WBO champion Juan Manuel Lopez. Marquez injured his shoulder in the fight and couldn't continue any further. Marquez's promoter Gary Shaw has been in contact with Top Rank, who promote Lopez, to discuss a rematch for the summer.
Shaw and Marquez felt the referee cost them a TKO victory when he called time in the fourth round, to take a point from Juanma, as the Puerto Rican champion was badly hurt from a series of power shots.
"The plans are that Rafael will be back in March. He should be ready to fight and as soon is [Top Rank CEO] Bob Arum is ready to put him again with Juanma, we are ready," Shaw told Carlos Gonzalez. "We have no doubt that when the referee stopped the fight in the fourth round, Marquez was about to knock out Juan, but I'm not going to deny that he won the fight."
Juanma returns on April 16 in Puerto Rico.
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