Marquez-Golden Boy Situation To Be Sorted Next Week

By Lem Satterfield

Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, said that next week's meeting in Mexico with WBO and WBA lightweight titlist, Juan Manuel Marquez will not only address the status of their contract with each other, but also, the fighter's desire for a third bout with eight-division champion, Manny Pacquiao.

Schaefer also told BoxingScene.com that he has been working with Todd duBoef, president of rival promoter, Top Rank Promotions, in the hopes of bringing to fruition the trilogy between Marquez (52-5-1, 38 knockouts) and Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs), who has a May 7 defense of his WBO welterweight belt opposite Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs).

A three-division champion, Marquez has battled to a disputed draw, and, through a split-decision loss, respectively, in May of 2004, and, March of 2008 against Pacquiao, who is promoted by Top Rank.

Although Schaefer acknowledged that Marquez's contract with Golden Boy Promotions is nearing its end, Schaefer contended that Marquez has not dealt honorably within its terms.

Schaefer said that there is a 30-day window during which Golden Boy Promotions can resign Marquez, adding that the company has the right, through Feb. 27, 2012, to match the best offer that Marquez receives from an opposing promoter.

But Schaefer has also accused Top Rank Promotions of trying to steal away Marquez through ally and Zanfer Promotions' President, Fernando Beltran, who co-promotes Mexican ex-champion Antonio Margarito (38-7, 27 KOs), and, Mexican junior middleweight and middleweight prospect Julio Cesar Chavez (41-0-1, 30 KOs), with Top Rank.

Schaefer elaborated on his assertions in this Q&A:

BoxingScene.com: What will your meeting be about with Juan Manuel Marquez next week?

Richard Schaefer: Well, you know, we have an exclusive negotiation period for a new contract with Juan Manuel Marquez. Basically, it states that the parties will negotiate together amicably and in good faith. But, you know, that's not happened.

We have tried to reach out through different channels and through different means, and have been stalled, stalled, stalled. And so, from our standpoint, the good faith negotiations period has not been honored by Juan Manuel Marquez.

BoxingScene.com: So you are hoping to resolve that next week?

Richard Schaefer: Well, we are going to try to sit down next week with Juan Manuel Marquez in Mexico and see what he says and we will see what his thoughts and his ideas are. Because, you know, you hear conflicting reports and things out of Mexico.

One day, you hear that Marquez has said that he wants to remain with Golden Boy Promotions. Other days, it's a different thing that you hear. So we will sit face to face and see what the story really is.

BoxingScene.com: But your contract has not expired?

Richard Schaefer: Well, irrespective of that, the fact is that we do have an existing conctract and a valid contract, under which there have been given to us certain rights until the end of February of 2012. And there is no question about that.

BoxngScene.com: I understand that you feel that Top Rank Promotions has secretly approached Juan Manuel Marquez?

Richard Schaefer: Well, Juan Manuel Marquez had told us during a meeting sometime late last year when we were in our offices -- and Eric Gomez was there, and Roberto Diaz was there as well. I believe [Golden Boy Promotions President] Oscar [De La Hoya] was there as well.

But he told us that he had been approached by Juan Carlos, who is the nephew or something of Fernando Beltran, or who is like Beltran's scout, or, his agent down there in Mexico in their hunt for fighters.

But Juan Manuel Marquez said that he had been told that they could get the Manny Pacquiao fight for him if he would not be with Golden Boy Promotions. In fact, Marquez had asked us if it would be okay if he could talk to them.

Obviously, they know that we have an existing contract with him [Marquez.] I am actually in discussions with [Top Rank President] Todd duBoef about a potential Paquiao-Marquez fight, and that Juan Manuel Marquez should tell me what kind of deal structure he is looking for and that I would communicate that with Todd duBoef.

So, you know, there is no question that Zanfer Promotions and Fernando Beltran have reached out to Juan Manuel Marquez, and I don't think that Zanfer and Beltran can deliver a Manny Pacquiao fight unless they are authorized to do so by Top Rank.

Because I believe that Top Rank has the promotional rights to Manny Pacquiao and not Zanfer Promotions. But we all know that Zanfer Promotions and Fernando Beltran are very close allies with Top Rank. So, there is no question that there was a connection and so we are dealing with it accordingly.