By Ronnie Nathanielsz
International promoter Murad Muhammad who is meeting with Top Rank officials headed by Bob Arum at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas says he is confident that WBA/IBF champion Juan Manuel Marquez will "come to his senses" and agree to a rematch with Ring Magazine featherweight champion Manny "Pac-Man" Pacquiao on February 26.
Roberto "Boying" Nazario, the son of Pacquiao's business manager Rod Nazario told Viva Sports/Manila Standard in an overseas telephone conversation that Murad was in Las Vegas in an effort to help Arum and Top Rank officials convince Marquez "not to price himself out of the ballpark" by insisting on a purse of $1.5 million as against the $750,000 offered by Arum who handles Marquez. Murad has committed to pay Pacquiao $900,000 pointing out that Pacquiao is the
attraction.
Murad who is staying at the MGM Grand, earlier told Viva Sports/Manila Standard in an overseas telephone conversation that both the MGM Grand where the first Pacquiao-Marquez fight was staged and Cesar's Palace are vying to stage the fight in which Z "The Dream" Gorres, the flashy Filipino southpaw who is rated No. 6 by the WBO in the bantamweight division, will figure in the undercard. Murad said he was confident a deal with Marquez would be hammered out even as he stressed he wouldn't leave Las Vegas until its done.
In the background was the possibility that if Marquez and his trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain played hard to get, the prospect of advancing the planned July showdown between Pacquiao and Erik Morales was a possibility since Arum also handles Morales. However, the idea of switching opponents was not discussed in the meeting between Murad and Top Rank although Murad was reported to have said that he and Pacquiao would be "happy" to take a fight against Morales, if offered.
Pacquiao, whose departure for Los Angeles to begin training in earnest for the February 26 rematch at trainer Freddie Roach's Wild Card Gym has been postponed for Saturday wanted to know whether the Marquez fight would push through because he was keen on getting into shape since the Mexican has been training since November. However, in one last fling before buckling down to an intense training regimen, Pacquiao has had a series of late nights playing pool.
He was reported to have gone home at 4:00 a.m. yesterday after a whole-night pool session, causing consternation among some members of Team Pacquiao and his staunch supporters. However, trainer Lito Mondejar insisted there was "nothing to worry about because when he starts training, Manny is fully dedicated . "Mondejar also said he was confident Pacquiao would win because Marquez "is scared and cannot handle Pacquiao's devastating power."
