All along, we knew it.
Lightweight titlist Juan Manuel Marquez wants to get a piece of Manny Pacquiao not because the Mexican believes he really can beat the reigning Filipino pound for pound king, all right.
But it came with a colatilla.
Top Rank?s Bob Arum probably leaked the information that Marquez was asking a floor purse prize of USD5 million plus an upside of the PPV.
For a boxer who cannot sell more than 200,000 pay per views on a card headlined and carried by him, that?s a ridiculous demand.
In the Filipino boxing lingo, it is a demand by a man ?na ayaw lumaban (who does not want to fight).?
At least Shane Mosley, another in the lost list of those who wants to have a fistic date with Pacquiao, was practical and realistic enough not to demand anything that borders on the ludicrous.
Marquez has no business getting a third fight against Pacquiao.
Four or five years ago, each other?s strength and weaknesses canceled each other out. That is why we had two great fights that would have gone either way. They are now walls apart in weight, in stature and in skills.
But for being the man that gave Manny some fits, he could get a third shot down the road. But he should not dictate the terms of the fight.
Manny is The Man of Boxing now. He, along with Bob Arum, does what he thinks is best for him.
Unfortunately for Marquez, the best for Manny right now is the piles of dollars that are offered on the table.
For Marquez to have a realistic shot at a third fight with Manny, he should make an offer the Filipino could not refuse.
Like a flat out guarantee that Manny will not receive anything less than what he earned against Antonio Margarito. And that should only be the guaranteed purse and not taken on the upside of the PPV proceeds.
On the other end of the bargain, Marquez should not get more than two dollars for every PPV buys.
Let us see how Marquez camp will figure out how to sell the fight to earn money.
Otherwise, it is all hot air for the Mexican.
