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Pacquiao itching to fight Marquez
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
JUAN Manuel Marquez’s tactic of trying to get under Manny Pacquiao’s skin may be working as the world’s no. 1 pound-for-pound king now wants to settle the score with the Mexican.
Pacquiao’s business manager Eric Pineda told www.insidesports.ph, Standard Today and Viva Sports that the Filipino champion wants to fight Marquez, “to erase any doubt, once and for all.”
Pineda said that in both fights against Marquez, Pacquiao suffered cramps in his legs. “They hurt, since Manny’s power comes from his legs.”
Pineda said Pacquiao doesn’t appreciate the bad-mouthing from the Mexican.
“He wants to hammer Marquez. This time, it will be shorter than the [Ricky] Hatton fight,” said Pineda of Pacman’s TKO win, which ended in 2:59 seconds of the second round. The International Boxing Organization light welterweight champion was knocked senseless with a deadly Pacquiao left hand after being dropped twice in Round 1.
But Pacquiao-Marquez fight may have to wait since the Mexican signed to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. hours before Pacquiao’s showdown with Ricky Hatton at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in what has been criticized as a cheap attempt to try and steal the thunder from the Pacquiao-Hatton fight.
In his latest statement, quoted by Mark Vester of Boxing Scene, Marquez said his dream is to become the best. “To do that, I have to face the best. Pacquiao doesn’t want anything to do with me, so I decided to fight the best and that is Floyd Mayweather Jr.”
Golden Boy Promotions’ Oscar de la Hoya earlier claimed that no matter what people say, as far as he is concerned, Marquez beat Pacquiao in their two fights.
In their first fight, Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in Round 1, before the Mexican counter-punched his way to salvage a draw. In the rematch, Pacquiao again dropped Marquez once in Round 3 to win a split decision and grab Marquez’s World Boxing Council super featherweight title.
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