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Morales bout pushes Marquez further away from third crack at Pacquiao
* January 2nd, 2011 7:30 pm ET
The recent news that lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez would be meeting former multiple weight champion Erik Morales was met with mixed reactions by boxing fans, particularly those keen to see Marquez square off once more with long time rival Manny Pacquiao.
Certainly the fight is one that many were hoping for several years ago, and to an extent still want to see.
If Marquez is really serious about ever fighting Pacquiao again though, which judging from the countless interviews in which he mentions the fight he is, then he still seems to be going about it the wrong way.
Instead of taking Bob Arum's advice and putting together a fight with WBC welterweight champ Andre Berto, Marquez has now instead chosen to take on the badly faded Erik Morales. Another case of a fight that should have been made five years ago and will probably be rather one sided today.
Even if Berto wasn't a realistic option though, the message behind Arum's perhaps flippant suggestion was clear. Marquez needs to prove himself at a higher weight before he's getting another fight with Pacquiao.
Currently his resume at welterweight is a single loss, and not even a close one, to Floyd Mayweather. At light welterweight he has never fought at all, despite the numerous champions and lucrative opponents that have been and gone at 140lbs over the last few years. Even at one point turning down a fight with Amir Khan because in his own words he didn't want to be used as a stepping stone.
For Arum to give the OK on a fight between Pacquiao and someone outside the Top Rank promotional banner he's going to want to get his money's worth, and the first two fights between Marquez and Manny were exactly that.
However, a one sided beating that ends in the early rounds at welterweight does little for either party, and in fact could serve to draw criticism to Pacquiao for taking on an opponent clearly not able to perform at the higher weight.
It could be argued that his status as the lightweight kingpin should count for something and that would be true when considering the current light welterweight champions. It doesn't count for much two weight classes up though, which is where Pacquiao has now settled.
In addition to not putting much of a case forward on merit, Marquez is also apparently either unable or unwilling to even agree to terms with Pacquiao anyway.
According to Bob Arum, when the offers came in for Pacquiao's next opponent, Marquez was asking for a more money than either Shane Mosley or Andre Berto, and essentially priced himself out of the running. Shane Mosley, now confirmed as Pacquiao's next opponent, has since revealed in several interview that he stands to make a career high amount from the fight.
So if all involved parties are to be believed (*That isn't to say that they all necessarily should be), then Marquez is looking for an inordinate amount of money for a fight which he has been campaigning for and some would argue no longer deserves.
All of which seems to point to a third meeting between himself and Pacquiao never happening and in fact getting further away the longer Marquez waits before actively doing something to better his chances at landing the fight.
Ty Goode, Pitt: "He turned down a fight with Khan, he won't move up and now he's fighting Morales who's totally shot, and he wonders why Pac won't fight him again"
Sammy Green, Louisville: "The winner gets a shot at Pac, I'm predicting it now"
http://www.examiner.com/fight-sports...ck-at-pacquiao
* January 2nd, 2011 7:30 pm ET
The recent news that lightweight king Juan Manuel Marquez would be meeting former multiple weight champion Erik Morales was met with mixed reactions by boxing fans, particularly those keen to see Marquez square off once more with long time rival Manny Pacquiao.
Certainly the fight is one that many were hoping for several years ago, and to an extent still want to see.
If Marquez is really serious about ever fighting Pacquiao again though, which judging from the countless interviews in which he mentions the fight he is, then he still seems to be going about it the wrong way.
Instead of taking Bob Arum's advice and putting together a fight with WBC welterweight champ Andre Berto, Marquez has now instead chosen to take on the badly faded Erik Morales. Another case of a fight that should have been made five years ago and will probably be rather one sided today.
Even if Berto wasn't a realistic option though, the message behind Arum's perhaps flippant suggestion was clear. Marquez needs to prove himself at a higher weight before he's getting another fight with Pacquiao.
Currently his resume at welterweight is a single loss, and not even a close one, to Floyd Mayweather. At light welterweight he has never fought at all, despite the numerous champions and lucrative opponents that have been and gone at 140lbs over the last few years. Even at one point turning down a fight with Amir Khan because in his own words he didn't want to be used as a stepping stone.
For Arum to give the OK on a fight between Pacquiao and someone outside the Top Rank promotional banner he's going to want to get his money's worth, and the first two fights between Marquez and Manny were exactly that.
However, a one sided beating that ends in the early rounds at welterweight does little for either party, and in fact could serve to draw criticism to Pacquiao for taking on an opponent clearly not able to perform at the higher weight.
It could be argued that his status as the lightweight kingpin should count for something and that would be true when considering the current light welterweight champions. It doesn't count for much two weight classes up though, which is where Pacquiao has now settled.
In addition to not putting much of a case forward on merit, Marquez is also apparently either unable or unwilling to even agree to terms with Pacquiao anyway.
According to Bob Arum, when the offers came in for Pacquiao's next opponent, Marquez was asking for a more money than either Shane Mosley or Andre Berto, and essentially priced himself out of the running. Shane Mosley, now confirmed as Pacquiao's next opponent, has since revealed in several interview that he stands to make a career high amount from the fight.
So if all involved parties are to be believed (*That isn't to say that they all necessarily should be), then Marquez is looking for an inordinate amount of money for a fight which he has been campaigning for and some would argue no longer deserves.
All of which seems to point to a third meeting between himself and Pacquiao never happening and in fact getting further away the longer Marquez waits before actively doing something to better his chances at landing the fight.
Ty Goode, Pitt: "He turned down a fight with Khan, he won't move up and now he's fighting Morales who's totally shot, and he wonders why Pac won't fight him again"
Sammy Green, Louisville: "The winner gets a shot at Pac, I'm predicting it now"
http://www.examiner.com/fight-sports...ck-at-pacquiao
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