By Ronnie Nathanielsz
Former WBC super featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez who dropped what many fight fans believe was a controversial split decision to Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao has responded to Pacquiao’s appeal to him to stop crying about his loss in their March 15 title fight in Las Vegas.
In a lengthy conversation with Viva Sports/Manila Standard Today, Marquez said “Manny Pacquiao insists for me to stop crying and I just tell him I’m not crying but if he insists that I am crying then its time for him to stop running, stop making up excuses because he knows that I won that fight and people deserve a third fight.”
Marquez who went face-to-face with Pacquiao at special ringside at the Araneta Coliseum last Sunday and asked him for a rematch continued to press for another showdown saying “if he is the people’s champion then he must give the people the fight that they want and that is with me, not David Diaz”
Marquez answered the claim by Pacquiao that Marquez made him wait for four years before giving him (Pacquiao) a rematch after their controversial draw in 2004 saying “I didn’t make him wait, its the promoter I had at that time (Bob Arum) who’s his promoter now and he’s the one that made him wait and now he’s trying to make me wait again.”
He added, “this is not about time. You made me wait now I want to make you wait. Its nothing like that. This is for the people. Let’s make it for the people We did it twice already. Lets make a third fight. Why not?.” Marquez said he had to make “many concessions for the second fight and added “ I am willing to make more concessions for the third fight to happen anytime. Let’s do it for boxing. Lets do it for the people. Its not only about money.” Marquez said that he is willing to wait but stressed that “now the fight is hot. People are waiting to see it. Willing to buy it. Why wait?"
Promoter Bob Arum who handles both Pacquiao and David Diaz has said that a fight between Pacquiao and the WBC lightweight champion is virtually a done deal for late June and that details are expected to be finalized within a week. Marquez indicated he is willing to wait until Pacquiao fights Diaz saying “no problem but if nothing happens with David Diaz I am willing to fight Pacquiao in June.”
He posed the question “who wants to see Manny Pacquiao and David Diaz? They’d rather see Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao again.” Marquez said “I think nobody is going to buy it. Diaz is not a good fighter” even as he predicted that Pacquiao will win by a knockout. Marquez said if Pacquiao “wants me to fight him at 135 I can go 135 no problem. If he wants to come down to 130. Lets fight. That’s the most important thing.”
