Pacquiao-Mayweather megafight looms
Manny Pacquiao’s struggle to a controversial victory over Juan Manuel Marquez could nudge the Filipino boxing icon closer to a megafight showdown against unbeaten US star Floyd Mayweather.
Pacquiao stretched his win streak to 15 fights with a majority decision over Marquez on Saturday at Las Vegas, but lacked the overpowering form he had shown in seven fights since a previous controversial triumph over Marquez in 2008.
If they had scored it the other way, the fight would have been scored a draw.
Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum dismissed Marquez’s talk that he might retire, saying the likely $10-million payday for a fourth fight could change his mind and that he would try to stage a fourth Marquez-Pacquiao fight next May.
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, said he felt Marquez deserved a rematch before the Filipino southpaw faced Mayweather.
And while Pacquiao was open to a Marquez rematch, he made it clear he was also ready to face Mayweather, saying when asked about the prospect, ‘’Let’s get it on. Let’s make the fight happen.’’
Mayweather, through advisor Leonard Ellerbe, has said he wants to fight Pacquiao next May. Arum dismissed Mayweather having already set a date and site for the fight and Roach said Mayweather has no business trying to set terms.
‘’I’m kind of tired of Floyd. Shut up and fight or don’t,’’ Roach said. ‘’He wants to dictate everything. Who is he to make the rules?
‘’Then he sends his gopher out to make a speech. Leonard Ellerbe, he’s a gopher. Floyd, speak up. Coming from Ellerbe, who gives a damn?’’
If nothing else, the possibility of turning back to Marquez would give Arum some leverage in talks with Mayweather’s camp about terms for a long-sought fight that figures to bring each fighter about $50 million – if it happens.
Just as Pacquiao’s side wants Mayweather to call out the Filipino star, Mayweather’s co-promoter, Oscar de la Hoya, told the Los Angeles Times that he basically wants to see Pacquiao call out Mayweather.
‘’Mayweather wants the fight. If Manny wants Floyd, there’s nothing stopping that fight from happening,’’ de la Hoya told the newspaper.
Marquez, who claims three wins over Pacquiao but was handed a draw and two losses by judges, also dropped a 12-round decision to Mayweather in 2009 after the American ended a long hiatus.
Marquez says Mayweather’s defensive style could give Pacquiao trouble.
‘’Commercially it will be a big fight but technically I think the style of Mayweather would get very complicated for Pacquiao,’’ Marquez said.
Take all the money, just give me a win
Late Saturday night, somebody had shoved a piece of document for Juan Manuel Marquez to sign inside his dressing room late Saturday night and the dejected Mexican fighter angrily ordered to keep it out of his sight.
It turned out that the piece of paper being handed over Marquez was for his paycheck of $5 million.
But even that didn’t help ease the pain of Marquez’s broken heart after being defeated by Manny Pacquiao on a 12-round majority decision at the MGM Grand.
“You can take all the money, just give me a win,” said Marquez to the fellow who tried to have the paper signed as quoted by Top Rank publicist Ricardo Jimenez, who was assigned to assist Marquez and his team in the duration of the promotional blitz for the celebrated fight over the weekend.
Jimenez said Marquez was so disillusioned that his future hangs in the balance.
“He doesn’t want to talk about boxing and he said he will spend more time with his family before making a decision (on what to do next),” said Jimenez.
Marquez thought he had done more than enough to merit the verdict but two judges –Dave Moretti and Glenn Trowbridge scored it in favor of Pacquiao – while the third judge had it a draw.
The loss was the second straight for Marquez at the hands of Pacquiao, who had dealt the Mexican a split decision loss the last time they rumbled in March 2008. Four years earlier, they battled to a split draw.
Jimenez said it would be better not to pair the two together for a proposed fourth fight in May 2012, something that was immediately brought up by no less than Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum.
But Jimenez believes a fourth meeting won’t resolve the matter.
“It’ll be the same thing,” he said.
Jimenez said Marquez, who is 38 years old, could no longer fight any better than Saturday’s superb showing, joking that Pacquiao will finally settle the issue when he finally knocks Marquez out “when Marquez is already 45 years old.”
The Mexican TV panel at ringside – including the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez – raised a howl after the announcement was made.
“Un robo (A robbery),” screamed the headline of the newspaper Record of Mexico City the day after the match.
Despite claims of a robbery by Marquez and his supporters, compubox results showed that it was Pacquiao who threw and connected more punches and was clearly the aggressor.
Meanwhile, the day after the fight, Pacquiao spent his time with wife Jinkee as the Filipino pound-for-pound king made it up with her after two months of living like a monk training for Marquez.
Reposted from mb.com.ph
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