by Ronnie Nathanielsz

The youthful manager of IBF Pan Pacific lightweight champion Al Sabaupan will not allow his boxer to fight Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez unless Marquez’ WBO light welterweight title is on the line.

The fight between Sabaupan and Marquez has already been calendared for July 21 in Mexico but Anuran told BoxingScene.com/Manila Standard he is still waiting for a formal contract from Marquez’s handler Fernando Beltran who is working through Solar Sports.

Anuran told us Marquez will go ahead with the Sabaupan fight provided they receive “confirmation from Manny (Pacquiao) that their fourth fight will take place.”

Marquez is looking to face a Filipino southpaw prior to a fourth showdown with Pacquiao but if that fight doesn’t push through the Marquez - Sabaupan showdown is not likely to take place.

Anuran said he knows that should Sabaupan fight Marquez he will be a huge underdog but that his boxer “wants it” and has been training hard in Baguio City with trainer Benny De La Pena.

The 23 year old Sabaupan has a record of 19-1-1 with 14 knockouts. He is coming off a first round knockout of Freddie Martinez on June 16.

Prior to the Martinez fight, Sabaupan last lost by a ninth round TKO to Mexico’s Marvin Quintero in an IBF lightweight title eliminator on April 21 this year.

Marquez, who is 38, has a record of 54-6-1 with 39 knockouts. He dropped a highly controversial majority decision to Pacquiao on November 12, 2011 in Las Vegas but came back to win the WBO light welterweight interim-title with a lopsided  twelve round unanimous decision over Serhiy Fedechenko in Mexico City on April 14.