By Keith Idec
 
NEW YORK — Juan Manuel Marquez admits he would’ve preferred facing Manny Pacquiao at a lower weight in their third fight.

“The both of us are small fighters, and I think for a better fight, it’d be better if we would’ve fought at 140, 141 tops,” Marquez said. “It would’ve been a better fight because we’re smaller guys. He asked for 144, so we took it. But I think if we fought at a lower weight, it would be better.”

Their first fight, a debatable draw in May 2004 in Las Vegas, was fought at the featherweight limit of 126 pounds. Their rematch in March 2008 in Las Vegas, which Pacquiao won by split decision, was contested at the junior lightweight limit of 130 pounds.

Promoter Bob Arum dismissed the theory that weight will be an important issue when the Philippines’ Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) and Mexico’s Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs) meet for the third time Nov. 12 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao is not a natural welterweight, either, and has weighed in at less than 146 pounds for each of his three welterweight fights since moving up to challenge Miguel Cotto in November 2009.

“The weigh stuff, that’s nonsense,” Arum said. “They’re both going into the ring weighing the same weight, just the way they did when they fought the two prior fights. They’re older now. They can carry a little bit more weight.”

Marquez’s only other fight at welterweight resulted in a one-sided decision defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2009, but Marquez claims weight wasn’t his problem that night in Las Vegas.

“The Mayweather fight had nothing to do with weight,” said Marquez, who weighed in at a career-high 142 pounds for that bout, four less than Mayweather. “I think it had everything to do with his style. He’s a defensive fighter, who doesn’t like to engage. He’ll never fight and it’s difficult to make him fight, [because] he’s so good. The styles, with Manny, it’ll make for a great fight.”

Keith Idec covers boxing for The Record and Herald News, of Woodland Park, NJ., and BoxingScene.com.