The question is: When?
Although some believe its just a rumor, this match-up, Marquez vs Bradley, has been bantered since December 2011 – before both fighters defeated Manny Pacquiao.
But for promoter Bob Arum, the most logical fit would be Manny Pacquiao vs Juan Manuel Marquez 5 because its Top Rank’s most lucrative bout at the moment, minus Mayweather vs Pacquiao, of course. Arum is pushing for Pacquiao vs Marquez 5 but Juan Manuel Marquez is pushing back, insisting Manny Pacquiao is not in his immediate future.
Is it just a rouse? Is Marquez insisting on a Bradley bout in an effort to get more money for Pacquaio vs Marquez 5 – or his he truly more intent on facing Tim?
Why Juan Manuel Marquez May Actually be Learning Towards Bradley
Pacquiao vs Marquez 5 – The Big Money Problem It was reported Juan Manuel Marquez is demanding $20 Million USD to face Pacquiao again – A far cry from the $5-6 Million USD he received for each of his last two bouts with Pacquiao.
Manny Pacquiao, on the other-hand, may have pocketed upwards of $30 Million USD for their showdown last December. And in Pacquiao vs Marquez 3, Pacquiao’s guarantee, alone, was $22 Million USD. In Floyd Mayweather-like fashion, Juan Manuel Marquez may be too insulted by the proposed purse splits for a 5th Fight with Manny Pacquiao and opt to face Bradley for less money instead.
Marquez believes he’s won every time against Pacquiao and his thrilling knockout of PacMan last December only cements his belief he’s been short-changed as his purses have been 4 and 5x less than Manny’s so don’t expect Marquez to relent.
Manny Gives Marquez Loads of Trouble Regardless of what Marquez says about getting robbed in the first three Pacquiao vs Marquez bouts, Manny Pacquiao has given him a lot of trouble in the ring. They fought three very close bouts with one being a draw and Manny winning the other two by narrow verdicts.
And despite getting floored in Pacquiao vs Marquez 4, Pacquiao roared back to score a knockdown of his own and appeared to be on the verge of a knockout before getting caught flush by a Marquez counter right hand while recklessly chasing Marquez. For the first 5.9 rounds of Pacquiao vs Marquez 4 last December, Manny Pacquiao was more dominant than either fighter had been in the Pacquiao vs Marquez bouts since Round 1 of their first meeting in 2004 when PacMan floored JMM three times.
Given his advantages in speed, activity level and footwork, if Manny Pacquiao fought in a more disciplined, less reckless style in Pacquiao vs Marquez 5, it would be very problematic for Marquez given what transpired in their first three bouts .
Moreover, against the rugged Ruslan Provodnikov last month, Bradley was vulnerable to an over-hand right and looked nothing like the defensive tactician he had been in his previous 29 bouts, including Pacquiao vs Bradley. Certainly Marquez saw a few chinks in Tim’s armor last month and is licking his chops at the prospects of facing Bradley.
Going Out a Champion/ Legacy-Building Marquez insists he wants only one more fight before retiring and what better way than to leave the sport than as a world champion, having defeated a previously undefeated champion who is the only other fighter to have beaten your nemesis in recent years?
Tim Bradley is the WBO Welterweight Champion. He’s unbeaten and an acknowledged Top 10 pound-for-pound fighter. A win over Bradley would still do wonders Marquez’s legacy. Aside from Manny Pacquiao, what other pound-for-pound fighter has he beaten? What other bonafide superstar at the top of his game has he beaten?
To his credit, he defeated Marco Antiono Barrera, although a slightly faded version of the ‘Baby-faced Assasin,’ and a “good” but not great Joel Casamayor who was 6-2-1 in his previous nine bouts prior to facing Marquez.
But Marquez was soundly beaten by Floyd Mayweather, lost to Chris John albeit in some controversy and had his hands full against Joel Casamayor, Michael Katsidis and Juan Diaz.
Everyone knows he matches up well with Manny Pacquiao but there are Marquez naysayers who insist, for the aforementioned reasons, he’s over-rated and that his superstar status is primarily built on going 1-2-1 in four legendary bouts against one fighter – Manny Pacquiao. Would a victory over a young, undefeated champion who is seemingly in his prime and a Top 10 pound-for-pound fighter add to Marquez’s legacy?
Answer: A resounding ‘Yes.’
Tim Bradley’s Newfound Respect In a Fight of the Year candidate that turned out to be a grueling slug-fest, Tim Bradley defeated Ruslan Provodnikov on March 16th in a crowd-pleasing bout where both men displayed heart, courage, stamina and true grit.
Bradley earned the respect of many as well some new fans. And as a result, Tim may be a bonafide star now with a bit of earning power thus manking Marquez vs Bradley a more intriguing, more lucrative match-up than was the case just a month ago.
Marquez vs Bradley… Like it or not, Tim has legitimized this fight.
Would Marquez vs Bradley be as profitable as Pacquiao vs Marquez 5?
Answer: Of course not.
But JMM could still pocket a cool $2-3 Million USD if not more. And perhaps a win over Bradley would give Marquez added financial leverage in Pacquiao vs Marquez 5 negotiations?
Marquez vs Bradley: The Reality For starters, if Marquez refuses to immediately fight Pacquiao, Bob Arum may choose to make Pacquiao vs Bradley 2 next, given Tim’s newfound respect and the revenge factor. Moreover, Pacquiao vs Bradley 2 would be more lucrative than Marquez vs Bradley.
Who’s to say the winner of Pacquaio vs Bradley 2 doesn’t fight Juan Manuel Marquez?
What about Marquez vs Brandon Rios or Mike Alvarado?
Pairing Marquez with Brandon Rios or Mike Alvarado would be great for the fans but awful for JMM and he may opt to retire instead of facing either of those guys because he’d have little to gain by winning and everything to lose by losing. Both bouts would be high-risk/low reward for Marquez. If Arum makes Pacquiao vs Bradley 2 for this fall, Marquez should consider a tune-up bout and fight the winner of Pacquiao vs Bradley 2 for ‘all the marbles’ before riding off into the sunset.
A 5th Pacquiao bout may not be ideal for Marquez with regards to enhancing his legacy and it would be a difficult assignment (assuming PacMan is less reckless), but it would be a for a world title (should Manny defeat Bradley) and, financially, the biggest option for him.
But who knows what will happen? Perhaps it will be Manny Pacquaio who gets a tune-up fight in September prior to fighting the winner of Bradley vs Marquez?
Either way, Marquez vs Bradley is a real possiblity. But when?
