Marquez Replies: Pacquiao Wants 147, Let's Fight at 147!

By Lem Satterfield

If it comes down to it, Juan Manuel Marquez will agree to the full welterweight limit of 147 for a third fight with Manny Pacquiao. During an earlier interview, Pacquiao's trainer Freddie Roach made it clear that any opponent from a lower weight division would have to move up to welterweight for a fight with Pacquiao.

"We would have to fight at 147, or else, those fights won't happen. I'm not going to let Manny fight below welterweight. It's 147, we found that when Manny can eat, he's comfortable and doesn't have to worry about making weight. Manny weighed in at [144.6] for his fight with Margarito, and I know that," Roach said.

"But I'm not going to have him struggle to make any weight. So he's going to fight at 147, that's now his natural weight, and that's where we're going to campaign at."

Marquez doesn't understand the reasoning behind a third bout being fought at the full limit of 147. He points out that Pacquiao usually weighs a lot less than the welterweight limit for his fights.

"My initial thought is that it would have to be at a catch weight. You know, his last fight, with Antonio Margarito, he weighed in at 144 pounds [actually 144.6.]. So, let's do the fight at a catch weight. If he wants to be at 140, I'll go 140. If he wants to do 142, I'll do 142. I think that it would have to be at a weight that's fair for both of us -- no advantage for him, no advantage for me," Marquez said.

"Let's do it at a catch weight and forget about the division. He hasn't fought at a real weight division for a long time. The 147 pounds is the true welterweight division, but he didn't make that weight. When he fought Oscar De La Hoya [weighed in at 142,] Manny didn't make the weight for the welterweight division. When he fought the other guys at welterweight and against Margarito [junior middleweight,] he didn't make that real weight."

If Roach and Pacquiao's team take a hard line on the weight, Marquez is willing to budge. He would prefer a catch-weight of 144-145, but doesn't rule out a deal being reached for the full limit of 147.

"If it comes to that, then, you know what, no problem. I don't want to have to go 147, but if he weighs 147, yes, I'll even go to 147. Just to be fair. Whatever he weighs, I'm going to weigh. But I would like to do it at a catch weight of around 144, or, you know, 145," Marquez said.

Lem Satterfield is the boxing editor at AOL FanHouse and the news editor at BoxingScene.com. To read more from Lem Satterfield, go to AOL FanHouse by Clicking Here .