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Juan Manuel Marquez mulls options
Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez turned 37 on Monday. Now, he's thinking about a belated birthday present: His next fight.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer flew to Mexico City on Tuesday and will meet with Marquez on Wednesday to go over plans for his next match, Schaefer told ESPN.com before departing.
Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) dominated Juan Diaz on July 31 to retain the 135-pound world title in a rematch of Marquez's ninth-round knockout win in the 2009 fight of the year. The victory set the stage for another marquee fight for Marquez in the fall. However, he must decide which division he wants to fight in -- lightweight or move up to the 140-pound junior welterweight division.
"We'll discuss what direction he wants to go and then circle back with HBO to see what will happen," Schaefer said. "Juan would like to fight in November or December, so that is what part of the plan is."
And who will he fight?
"The two most logical opponents are [Amir] Khan or [Michael] Katsidis," Schaefer said. "It depends on the weight he wants to fight at."
Marquez has said repeatedly that he is interested in facing Khan (23-1, 17 KOs), the flashy Brit who holds a junior welterweight belt, so he can have a chance to become the first Mexican fighter to win world titles in four weight divisions. Marquez has already won titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight.
But Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs), the brawling Australian who holds an interim belt and is one of Marquez's mandatory challengers, is also an intriguing fight that would match two of boxing's most exciting fighters.
"Either one is a serious fight that I would be looking forward. Either one is a fight that would be a highlight of the fall/winter boxing calendar," Schaefer said. "It comes down to what Marquez wants to do."
The fight Marquez wants most is a third bout with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, but that is unlikely. They drew in their first meeting and Pacquiao won a controversial split decision in the rematch. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who handles Pacquiao, is not interested in the fight. He is making plans to match Pacquiao with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium, assuming Margarito is licensed in Texas, which is expected.
"Juan really wanted to fight Pacquiao again," Schaefer said. "We tried. I know Marquez wants it. I know we at Golden Boy want it and the fans and media are also behind it, but we can't make [Pacquiao] fight Marquez. So we have to be prepared to go in another direction."
Eventually, Schaefer said he would like to match Marquez with Erik Morales (49-6, 34 KOs), the faded Mexican star who ended a 2 1/2-year retirement in March by outpointing Jose Alfaro in a welterweight bout.
Morales, who won titles in three divisions, is scheduled to fight Willie Limond at junior welterweight on Sept. 11.
"Marquez and Morales is a fight I would love to do," Schaefer said. "We've had some conversations with Erik Morales."
Marquez-Morales is the one match that never happened among the featherweight/junior lightweight quartet of stars of the 2000s that also included Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera.
source: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=5494918
Lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez turned 37 on Monday. Now, he's thinking about a belated birthday present: His next fight.
Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer flew to Mexico City on Tuesday and will meet with Marquez on Wednesday to go over plans for his next match, Schaefer told ESPN.com before departing.
Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) dominated Juan Diaz on July 31 to retain the 135-pound world title in a rematch of Marquez's ninth-round knockout win in the 2009 fight of the year. The victory set the stage for another marquee fight for Marquez in the fall. However, he must decide which division he wants to fight in -- lightweight or move up to the 140-pound junior welterweight division.
"We'll discuss what direction he wants to go and then circle back with HBO to see what will happen," Schaefer said. "Juan would like to fight in November or December, so that is what part of the plan is."
And who will he fight?
"The two most logical opponents are [Amir] Khan or [Michael] Katsidis," Schaefer said. "It depends on the weight he wants to fight at."
Marquez has said repeatedly that he is interested in facing Khan (23-1, 17 KOs), the flashy Brit who holds a junior welterweight belt, so he can have a chance to become the first Mexican fighter to win world titles in four weight divisions. Marquez has already won titles at featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight.
But Katsidis (27-2, 22 KOs), the brawling Australian who holds an interim belt and is one of Marquez's mandatory challengers, is also an intriguing fight that would match two of boxing's most exciting fighters.
"Either one is a serious fight that I would be looking forward. Either one is a fight that would be a highlight of the fall/winter boxing calendar," Schaefer said. "It comes down to what Marquez wants to do."
The fight Marquez wants most is a third bout with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao, but that is unlikely. They drew in their first meeting and Pacquiao won a controversial split decision in the rematch. Top Rank promoter Bob Arum, who handles Pacquiao, is not interested in the fight. He is making plans to match Pacquiao with Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 at Cowboys Stadium, assuming Margarito is licensed in Texas, which is expected.
"Juan really wanted to fight Pacquiao again," Schaefer said. "We tried. I know Marquez wants it. I know we at Golden Boy want it and the fans and media are also behind it, but we can't make [Pacquiao] fight Marquez. So we have to be prepared to go in another direction."
Eventually, Schaefer said he would like to match Marquez with Erik Morales (49-6, 34 KOs), the faded Mexican star who ended a 2 1/2-year retirement in March by outpointing Jose Alfaro in a welterweight bout.
Morales, who won titles in three divisions, is scheduled to fight Willie Limond at junior welterweight on Sept. 11.
"Marquez and Morales is a fight I would love to do," Schaefer said. "We've had some conversations with Erik Morales."
Marquez-Morales is the one match that never happened among the featherweight/junior lightweight quartet of stars of the 2000s that also included Pacquiao and Marco Antonio Barrera.
source: http://sports.espn.go.com/sports/box...ory?id=5494918
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