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Undisputed lightweight king Nate Campbell released the following exclusive statement to ********* regarding his challenge to Juan Manuel Marquez:
"When I got home to Jacksonville today and checked my email, I had hundreds of emails from fans asking me to call out Marquez, after the nice job he did on Casamayor. I don't really have much faith in this whole ‘calling out’ business, because I tried that with Casamayor, and with Pacquiao, and it got me nowhere. But if Juan Manual is interested in fighting me, I'm all for it. My position all along has been that I have an IBF mandatory (#1 ranked Ali Funeka) to take care of, but I'm sure for a fight of this magnitude something could be worked out with the Funeka kid and the IBF for him to step aside for one fight to allow me and Marquez to get it on. Some folks think I'm the best lightweight in the world, and some folks think that honor belongs to Marquez. Well no matter which way you have it, me and him are #1 and #2 in the division, and a fight between us clears it up once and for all as to who is the baddest man at 135. I'm ready to roll right now. Marquez just went 11 rounds, but he didn’t get seriously dinged up or anything so why not make this the co-feature to Oscar-Pacquiao on Dec 6th? He should be able to go again in two (with) and a half months no problem. The cynical side of me says no way this happens, that the in-house fight between Marquez and Diaz will get made instead. But I still wanted to put this statement out to let everyone know that I'm ready, willing, and more than able to send Marquez back down to 130, if the powers that be will just get out of the way and let it happen."
Nate Campbell
IBF/WBO/WBA lightweight Champion
"When I got home to Jacksonville today and checked my email, I had hundreds of emails from fans asking me to call out Marquez, after the nice job he did on Casamayor. I don't really have much faith in this whole ‘calling out’ business, because I tried that with Casamayor, and with Pacquiao, and it got me nowhere. But if Juan Manual is interested in fighting me, I'm all for it. My position all along has been that I have an IBF mandatory (#1 ranked Ali Funeka) to take care of, but I'm sure for a fight of this magnitude something could be worked out with the Funeka kid and the IBF for him to step aside for one fight to allow me and Marquez to get it on. Some folks think I'm the best lightweight in the world, and some folks think that honor belongs to Marquez. Well no matter which way you have it, me and him are #1 and #2 in the division, and a fight between us clears it up once and for all as to who is the baddest man at 135. I'm ready to roll right now. Marquez just went 11 rounds, but he didn’t get seriously dinged up or anything so why not make this the co-feature to Oscar-Pacquiao on Dec 6th? He should be able to go again in two (with) and a half months no problem. The cynical side of me says no way this happens, that the in-house fight between Marquez and Diaz will get made instead. But I still wanted to put this statement out to let everyone know that I'm ready, willing, and more than able to send Marquez back down to 130, if the powers that be will just get out of the way and let it happen."
Nate Campbell
IBF/WBO/WBA lightweight Champion
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