Juan Manuel Marquez has been looking for a third fight against Manny Pacquiao ever since the end of the last fight, and even though two weight divisions now seperate them, he is still adamant that he wants the fight to happen.
While Pacquiao has gone on to greater success at welterweight, Marquez has been left behind at lightweight. He is still the best in the division for the time being, but he doesn’t have the kind of drawing power he once had and many feel he is past his best at 36 years old.
Not so long ago, Marquez was one of the names Bob Arum was mentioning as a next potential opponent for Manny Pacquiao. Over the last few months though Marquez has slipped out of the picture and it now appears that either Antonio Margarito or the winner of Miguel Cotto vs. Yuri Foreman are the front runners. Unless the ongoing talks between Top Rank and Golden Boy over a fight with Floyd Mayweather prove to be successful this time around that is.
Probably the biggest obstacle to Marquez’s aspirations is the fact that the weight would be an issue. Pacquiao is as good as ever at welterweight, and the division remains the best place to put together big money fights. Marquez tried his hand at welterweight against Floyd Mayweather and got beaten. Not even the usual king of beating Mayweather puts on his opponents either, Marquez looked slower than usual and simply couldn’t do the same things he still can at lightweight.
None of this seems to faze Marquez’s quest for a huge payday against Pacquiao though:
“Maybe we could fight at 140 or maybe 141, 142. I know Pacquiao. I know how to fight Pacquiao. I know his style. I know how Pacquiao’s style is and I’m always one step ahead of him [when we fight]. I think 70% [the fight won’t happen]. Pacquiao is scared of me because he knows who won the fight. Why doesn’t he want to fight me?,”- Marquez speaking to BoxingScene
While Pacquiao might not be interested in the fight any more, I don’t think it has anything to do with being scared. Having fought Marquez twice already and beaten him once, not to mention having climbed the divisions and faced off against bigger and stronger fighters, there isn’t much Pacquiao is scared of in the ring.
There is also a risk from fighting Marquez for Pacquiao. Not so much of losing, but that he wouldn’t beat him as easily as Floyd Mayweather did. If Pacquiao struggled or didn’t finish Marquez, then Mayweather and his fans would no doubt try to use this as proof that Mayweather was the better fighter. Like most other arguments as to why one is better than the other with Floyd and Manny, it would be irrelevent until the fight, but that wouldn’t dissuade people from arguing over it.
Other than Floyd Mayweather though, none of the other opponents lined up for Pacquiao are going to please everyone. Cotto has already been beaten, Margarito is still unpopular among many fans because of his suspension and Marquez wouldn’t be able to make the fight competitive at welterweight.
Ely Jones, Pittsburgh: “Why did Marquez drop out of the running as Pacquiao’s opponent, people would rather see this fight than Margacheato making millions of dollars again”
Ted Wallis, Pittsburgh: “Marquez is just looking for a big money fight now that there isn’t anyone at lightweight left to fight”
