TOP RANK big boss Bob Arum is so wary of Juan Manuel Marquez that the boxing old hand was kind of hesitant to furnish details about Manny Pacquiao?s itinerary after the two fighters? March 15, 2008 rematch.
Although Arum mentioned names like current World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight king David Diaz as an opponent for July, possibly in Macau and Ricky Hatton for November in Dubai or even Oscar De La Hoya, the 76-year-old Harvard-educated lawyer sounded worried about Marquez.
“Look, I don?t want to look past the Marquez rematch,” said Arum. “Manny has got to train hard for this one because Marquez is going all out.”
It sounded like a rehash, since it was the same line that was floated many times before Pacquiao faced Marco Antonio Barrera who was hyped as a boxer who wanted to finish his career in style.
Arum pointed to a story that was ran by the Spanish-language sports daily Esto on Wednesday that Marquez, who will put his WBC super-feather throne on the line at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, has began initial training.
“There?s this report that I saw on the Internet that says Marquez has started training. This only proves that Marquez is serious,” Arum said.
The story quoted Marquez as saying that speed will be crucial in his quest to stave off Pacquiao?s challenge.
“We have fought for 12 rounds and I thought that I won that fight but I have to train hard and be prepared and ready for his speed,” Marquez told the Mexican press when he worked out at a gym in Iztacalco, just outside of Mexico City.
Marquez had to get up from three knockdowns in the first round in May 2004 and battled Pacquiao to a 12-round draw in a fight ringsiders believe should have been awarded to the Mexican.
Told about Marquez?s plans, Pacquiao said he will not take his foe lightly and plans to fly to Los Angeles by mid-January to begin training at the Wild Card Boxing Club under top tactician Freddie Roach.
“Eight weeks in the States,” said Roach. “Manny is going to condition himself by jogging and playing basketball.”
“I will tap some old sparring partners and get new ones, too” added Roach.
