MANILA, Philippines – It?s not only Juan Manuel Marquez who believes that he beat Manny Pacquiao twice in their two meetings. Hall of Fame trainer Ignacio (Nacho) Beristain is convinced Marquez did enough to win decisions over Pacquiao in 2004 and 2008.
To settle the issue once and for all, Pacquiao will face Marquez in a third encounter in Las Vegas on Saturday (Sunday morning, Manila). The WBO welterweight crown will be at stake in the fight with a catchweight limit of 144 pounds.
When they first battled, the fight was in the featherweight division with Pacquiao bringing down his weight to scale within the 126-pound limit. In the rematch, they met as superfeatherweights with a limit of 130. Now, Marquez is moving up two weight classes from the lightweight division for the chance to snatch the welterweight crown.
For Beristain, the issue isn?t related to weight. It?s about controlling the space that separates both fighters ? what he calls the combat zone.
?Here is Pacquiao, who is a southpaw, and here is Marquez who is an orthodox,? said Beristain, quoted by Gabriel Montoya in maxboxing.com. ?If Juan Manuel dominates that combat zone, he will take Pacquiao to round 12 again. If Juan Manuel gets careless in technique, Pacquiao can knock him out because of his punching power which is superior. But if we manage to make Juan Manuel understand that if he dominates that little space, he will beat him then he?ll beat him again.?
Beristain, 72, said in the first two fights, Marquez took control of the space. ?Juan Manuel walked and threw while Manny threw or attempted to throw a punch and Juan Manuel responded with three, walked there and wouldn?t let him (throw),? he continued. ?In their last fight, Juan Manuel cut him seven times in the right eye.?
Clearly, Marquez is the more proficient technical fighter than Pacquiao. His shot selection is impeccable. His combinations hit the mark more often than not. But for Marquez to land, he needs a target to freeze inside the combat zone. If Pacquiao walks into Marquez?s trap, he?ll get hit. Pacquiao, however, is too smart to stay stuck on his feet. He?ll move in and out, side to side. He won?t be a standing target. If Marquez leads off with his right, Pacquiao will counter with the left over the top or a right leaning away. If Marquez is scientific, Pacquiao is unpredictable. If Marquez is selective, Pacquiao overwhelms as a volume puncher.
What Beristain conveniently overlooks is Pacquiao was able to knock down Marquez four times in two fights at a weight division where the Filipino wasn?t at optimal strength. Now that Pacquiao is a natural welterweight, how can Marquez cope with his power? Marquez has tried to bulk up in training camp but the bottom line is he?s still a natural lightweight. The Mexican will check in as a blown-up welterweight and the extra poundage may be more of a disadvantage than an advantage.
Beristain said he?s retiring after he crowns his 25th world champion. So far, he has 20 male and two female world titlists. In contrast, Pacquiao?s trainer Freddie Roach, 51, has worked with 27 world champions.
Beristain was a former amateur and professional fighter. He worked as a trainer with Mexican fighters at the 1968, 1978 and 1980 Olympics. Among the world champions under his wing were Ricardo Lopez, Humberto Gonzalez, Daniel Zaragoza, Victor Rabanales, Guty Espadas Jr. and Jorge Paez. He turned to boxing at an early age because as an orphan, he was often bullied in school in his Mexican hometown of Veracruz. Marquez?s father Rafael, a former pro, asked Beristain to train his son before he turned pro in 1993.
Beristain, called ?Master? by ageless champion Bernard Hopkins, is particularly fired up when his fighters take on Filipinos. He?ll never forgive and forget Rolando Pascua of Cebu for dealing his prot?g? Gonzalez his first loss as an amateur or pro in wresting the WBC lightflyweight title in Los Angeles in 1990. He was in Oscar de la Hoya?s corner when Pacquiao dealt the Golden Boy a decisive beating in 2008.
Beristain, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, this year, said Filipino fans revere Marquez. ?I believe we have to be grateful to Pacquiao because he showed up in Juan Manuel?s career and with those two fights they robbed from him, instead of setting him back, the Filipinos themselves welcome Juan Manuel like crazy,? he said. ?The second idol of Philippine boxing is Juan Manuel Marquez. One day, I was very early at the airport in Mexico and about 15 Filipinos came. They told me Juan Manuel Marquez won (the fights against Pacquiao). In many ways, Juan Manuel has defined Manny.?
Roach said he can?t accept the claims that Marquez beat Pacquiao twice. The first fight was declared a split draw but it should?ve been a split decision win for Pacquiao as judge Burt Clements erred in scoring the first round 10-7 instead of 10-6. The second was a split decision win for Pacquiao who decked Marquez once in the third round. Roach said he respects Beristain and is challenged by his presence in the opposite corner.
This weekend, the fight won?t just be about Pacquiao against Marquez, it?ll also be about Roach against Beristain.
