There was no trash talking ? not unless you count promoter Bob Arum?s condemning of HBO?s ?Thriller in Manila? documentary. No punches were thrown in efforts to boost pay-per-view sales. A censor button wasn?t required when members from either camp spoke. Everybody had their turn at the mic; everyone was able to speak uninterrupted.
If you viewed Wednesday?s press conference for this weekend?s showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez as tame and devoid of drama, then those involved feel they did their job to stay true to who they are.
?There hasn?t been one bit of trash talk, there hasn?t been one bit of vulgarity,? noted Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum in concluding what marks the final time Pacquiao and Marquez appear before the media and the public before Friday?s weigh-in.
The afternoon session was held at the Hollywood Theatre in the MGM Grand, which plays host to the final leg of the trilogy between the longtime in-ring rivals. A single point on one scorecard separates the two fighters over the course of 24 fiercely contested rounds in a rivalry spanning seven years and 18 lb. in fighting weight.
It?s hardly the nature of either fighter to spew venom in the direction of anyone else, least of all the man standing across them in the ring on fight night. The phrase, ?I do my talking in the ring? has become clich? through the years, but still defines two of the very best fighters in the world who can find a way to throw caution to the wind in the ring yet remain respectful of each other.
?I don?t like speaking outside of the ring,? Marquez said, ironically in near-flawless English rather than his native Spanish language. ?I do my talking inside the ring. All of the people, especially all of the Mexican people around the world and of course in my country, I thank you for your support and will do my best to make you proud on Saturday.?
Pacquiao?s reply was every bit as respectful, to the delight of most though perhaps to the chagrin of those who have become accustomed to the three-ring circus that far too often overshadows the very fight it?s supposed to be promoting.
