By Mark Vester
The Nevada Appeal resports that at a recent Reno press conference for the upcoming "Double Trouble" televised Showtime event, which features the Marquez brothers, Marquez's manager-trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain said that Marquez is a better fighter than Filipino Manny Pacquiao, and fellow countrymen Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera.
"He's better than (Pacquiao, Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera). But the promoters don't want to put the fights together. Juan's a great fighter, but in the eyes of the promoter, he doesn't exist. Arum is in love with Morales. No other fighter exists in the division," said Beristain.
Beristan also went on to blast former promoter Bob Arum of Top Rank, and declared that Arum is the reason they turned down the $750K rematch with Pacquiao, because they felt Arum was trying to keep half of Marquez's purse for himself.
"He wanted to pay us with a big bag of tortillas," Beristain. "We were promised the purse would be $1.5 million for each guy. For the second fight (Arum) offered $750,000. It was like an insult. We knew there was more money out there for that fight. They wanted to keep half for themselves without throwing punches. It wasn't fair."
Beristain went to further say that Arum is in love with fellow Mexican Erik Morales, not caring for Juan Manuel Marquez or any other fighter within Top Rank. He feels that Arum is always looking out for Morales, but could care less about other fighters signed with the company.
"In five years under contract with Top Rank, they were hiding Erik Morales and the other fighters. It didn't happen because Bob Arum is in love with Erik Morales as a fighter. He should have a picture (of Morales) on the headboard of his bed, praying to Erik. There is no other boxer for Top Rank than Erik Morales."
Gary Shaw, the promoter of younger brother Rafael Marquez, said that he agrees with Beristain about the alleged tactics of Arum, and does not blame him for turning down the offer for the Pacquiao rematch.
"There is such a thing as pride," Shaw. "They made $650,000 for the first fight. They're telling the promoter that $750,000 is not the right number for the second fight. I paid Corrales much more money than Arum paid Castillo. You can figure out that Bob Arum and I were partners on the show and split it 50-50. How can my fighter make so much more money than (Castillo)? Nacho took a bad hit from the press for turning down $750,000 for $30,000. I don't think that was a mistake. The only mistake was going over (to Indonesia) unprotected by a promoter."
