Marquez braces for Diaz bout

MANILA, Philippines – Juan Manuel Marquez, the Mexican dynamite, has reportedly begun training for his scheduled return to the ring on July 2 against David Diaz.

But the bigger fight at the back of his mind is definitely the one against Manny Pacquiao, a fight being set for Nov. 12 in Las Vegas.

Marquez, according to www.boxingscene.com , had already gone to the Romanza Gym in Mexico City to begin his light training.

He was in Las Vegas last week to watch Pacquiao beat Shane Mosley, and work on the possibilities of a third fight with the Pinoy icon.

He hasn?t fought since November last year when he knocked out Michael Katsidis at the MGM and kept his WBO and WBA lightweight titles.

While he has Diaz standing in front of him, Marquez can?t stop thinking about Pacquiao. He?s dying for that fight, and chances are he?s going to get it.

Marquez told www.boxingscene.com that he doesn?t expect Golden Boy Promotions, which has rights over him, to match the handsome offer he got from Top Rank.

Bob Arum has offered Marquez the moon and the stars ? a guaranteed purse of $5 million and $10 million for a rematch in case he gets lucky and beats Pacquiao this time.

There?s also a clause that gives Marquez $5 for every pay-per-view sale in excess of 700,000 buys, and that he gets $1 million for every pound if Pacquiao weighs in heavier than the catchweight of 144 lb.

Marquez thinks that these figures will be very difficult for Golden Boy to match. Arum has given Golden Boy until 3 p.m. Monday (US time) to match the offer, or Pacquiao-Marquez III is on.

Arum said Top Rank is ready to make the formal announcement anytime soon. Then it?s on for the press tour sometime in August, and the fight a lot of people want to see in November.

Pacquiao is still enjoying his latest victory, but welcomed the third fight with Marquez if and when it happens.

?Malayo pa ?yan (It?s still far away),? he said yesterday.

Marquez sought revisions to the original offer by Top Rank and was too glad to get them. He is now keeping his fingers crossed that Golden Boy won?t match it.

?There were definitely things that I like (in the offer). Beyond everything, people know that a third fight (with Pacquiao) is my dream,? Marquez said a few days ago.

?This time there are very good conditions for the fight, like the weight and salary. Golden Boy has the right to match the offer. I was with them for a long time and I do not think the conditions exist to match the economics of the pay-per-view ? but they do have the last word and I have to wait,? he added.

Marquez? trainer, Nacho Beristain, also told www.boxingscene.com that fining Pacquiao for every pound in excess of 144 was meant to protect his fighter.

Beristain related that when Marquez fought Floyd Mayweather in 2009, the undefeated American weighed in two pounds heavier than the catchweight of 144 lb as compared to Marquez at 142. Mayweather also refused to be weighed before climbing the ring.

Beristain suggested that Mayweather could have gone up the ring as heavy as 160 lb, leading to the huge difference in size by the time the opening bell rang.

?The dreams of Juan Manuel Marquez are also my dreams. After 24 rounds I think Pacquiao has not demonstrated his superiority over Marquez,? said Beristain.

?What happened when he (Marquez) fought Floyd Mayweather is he (Mayweather) has a big weight advantage, and from what we?ve seen of Manny Pacquiao, he never gets above 150 pounds and that?s what matters. On the day of the fight both of them will (rehydrate) evenly,? Beristain also said.

For the first time in his last few fights, Pacquiao could be in for an even matchup.

?Baka ma-dehado na tayo dito (We could be the underdogs here),? said Pacquiao.