IN a hardline rhetoric, IBF/WBA featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico declared that only death can deter him from surrendering his belts to Filipino ring superstar Manny Pacquiao when they mix it up in an explosive May 8 showdown, which will be televised live by HBO at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
“There will be fire in the ring on May 8th. It took a lot for me to become a world champion and only in death will I relinquish my belts!,” Fightnews.com quoted Marquez as saying during yesterday’s press conference at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel in Los Angeles, California.
“Manny is a great fighter, but I am fighting not only for myself but my wife, my children, my parents and all of my country!,” added Marquez.
Also in attendance were promoters Bob Arum and Murad Muhammad as well as Juan ‘El Pollo’ Valenzuela (20-6,9KO’s), who is scheduled to battle unbeaten Miguel Cotto (19-0,16 KO’S) in the supporting main event.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, said he holds Marquez with high esteem, but the conqueror of Mexican legend Marco Antonio Barrera asserted that he is a champion too and that he is confident he would prevail in their eagerly-awaited collision.
“Marquez is a great fighter and I respect him as the champ, but I am a champ too!,” said Pacquiao. “This is a big important fight and I have to win if I want to fight Erik Morales on July 31st,” added the fearless General Santos City-native punisher.
But if there is any pronouncement that could send shivers down the spines of Marquez, it’s probably American trainer Freddie Roach’s statement that his prized Filipino catch is ready to repudiate whatever strategy Marquez would resort to when the pair trade bombs in the ring.
Roach, the chief strategist of the famed Wild Card gym where James Toney, the Klitschko brothers, and Shane Mosley regularly train, is optimistic that Pacquiao’s well-rounded fighting style has all what it takes to thumb down Marquez.
“Styles make fights. So, you never know what to expect. So, we?ll be ready for whatever he (Marquez) brings to the table. If he wants to fight, we?ll fight. If he wants to box, we?ll be ready for that, too. Manny?s a complete fighter. He?ll handle whatever happens in there,” Roach told Eastsideboxing.com.
Roach said at the moment they are building up Pacquiao’s stamina, with conditioning coach Justin Fortune taking the Filipino ring icon to the mountains to do roadwork in the morning. In the afternoon, they’re doing mitts, bag work, shadow box, and other training repertoire.
Roach is very well aware that Marquez has very smart people in his corner who are capable of coming up with a variety of strategy, but assured that whatever style they will employ, Pacquiao is ready to ward it off.
“Marquez has very smart people in his corner. They?re going to come with a whole different strategy. They?re not gonna be the same people we see everyday on the tapes, I?m sure. Whatever style comes to the table, he?s gonna be ready for it,” said Roach.
In 10 days time, Roach said they will start heavy training and enlist the likes of Bernard Dunne, Israel Vasquez, and Kahren Harutyunyan as among Pacquiao’s sparringmates. Roach disclosed that will also also hire a couple of other toughies from Mexico to spar with Pacquiao.
“So, when he?s sharp with those guys, he?s sharp with anybody,” said Roach.
Roach further bared he will be studying carefully the tape of Marquez and then outline some defensive tactics out of it so that when the Mexican dynamite initiates the move, Pacquiao will know how to counter the attack.
