Negotiations between Top Rank and Golden Boy has taken a quick turn as the door to a dream date, a million-dollar rematch with Manny Pacquiao re-opened for Juan Manuel Marquez.
A very reliable source from the US reported the other day that Pacquiao had decided to take on David Diaz, the WBC lightweight (135 lbs) champion, on March 15 at The Mandalay of Las Vegas.
But suddenly, Marquez is back in the picture.
The WBC super-featherweight (130 lbs) champion even seemed to have regained the upperhand in the search for Pacquiao?s next opponent, a search that began with eight names on the list.
?It?s very possible that it?s Marquez,? said Pacquiao?s ring adviser Wakee Salud who, just the other day, said it was ?80 percent sure? that it?s Diaz because it?s simply ?the better fight? for the Filipino.
Now, even Salud is singing a different tune.
?It looks like it?s Marquez. But the bluffing continues. Golden Boy is hot on Pacquiao. They want the fight in March. Not in July,? he said, considering that Marquez is turning 34 in January.
Many believe that Diaz, who is also under Top Rank, was being used as leverage. And it worked as Marquez said he was willing to take a cut on his purse just to get it done with Pacquiao even at 135 lbs.
?I?m still waiting just like everyone else. But I would like to face Pacquiao,? he told a Filipino scribe yesterday.
Pacquiao was in Los Angeles over the weekend, and before he ended his whirlwind visit Golden Boy must have brought something on the table.
And it?s very, very hard to resist.
Pacquiao yesterday morning said nothing is final yet but hinted that it could be Marquez as his next opponent. Then he did not answer phone calls the rest of the day.
Two days ago, Pacquiao sounded like he was ready to get it on with Diaz, even saying that he?d rather fight Marquez when he is already the lightweight champion of the world.
?We accepted their terms. Now its up to Bob Arum and Manny Pacquiao to decide if they will fight me or keep running,? Marquez was quoted by boxingtalk.com yesterday.
What the terms were, no one else would know.
