LAS VEGAS?If, as the bookmakers and the rest of the boxing world expects, Manny Pacquiao puts some Sugar (Shane Mosley) in his tank Saturday night at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, the Pinoy Idol’s next opponent will be staring him right in the face.
And I mean that quite literrally as Pacman’s Mexican nemesis, slick but aging (38 come August) coutnerpuncher Juan Manuel Marquez, will be only a few rows away from the ring where Pacman and the redoubtable Mosley are handling their expected to be totally aggressive business.
No doubt, Marquez, who fought to a debatable draw with Pacquiao in 2004 when they were mere featherweights and the lost a controversial split decision to him in 2008 at 130 pounds, will be thinking and talking about the juicy offer he has from promoter Bob Arum to turn his rivalry with Megamanny into a triology.
Arum has given an offer sheet if not a full-scale contract to the 52-5-1 (38 knockouts) Marquez which will earn Juan Ma a certain $5 million for Marquez-Pacquiao III on Nov. 12. If the PPV buy rates are brisk, Marquez might earn another one or two million United States dollars.
“We’re looking, obviously, at Juan Ma as the logical guy for November but all that has to wait until we see tonight how Manny makes out with Mosley. This is a tough fight for Shane and a tough fight also for Manny.
“But, yeah, Marquez would make a lot of sense given their shared past history. We can also look at guys like Tim Bradley, who might be the best of the junior welterweights. Sergio Martinez, as I keep telling people, makes no sense. Sergio is just too big physically for Manny, so much bigger that it is ridiculous to discuss,” Arum said Friday.
Top Rank has told Marquez that he has 10 full days from Saturday night or May 17 to accept or reject the terms. Marquez is contractually free of promoter and Arum rival Golden Boy except for a year long right to match any bout offer.
While GBP’s Richard Schaefer is humming a tune about beating Uncle Bob’s $5 million guarantee in an all Mexico matchup pitting Juan Ma against rising, 20 year old sensation Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez, this makes little sense.
