MEXICAN CHAMPION Juan Manuel Marquez is literally going the extra mile in preparing for his March 15 rematch with Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao.
During weekdays, Marquez shows up at the Romanza Gym in Mexico City owned and operated by his trainer cum manager Ignacio Beristain to have his daily dose of workout and drives during weekends for high-altitude training in Nevado De Toluca, according to Ramiro Gonzalez, head of PR and Publicity of Golden Boy Promotions (GBP).
GBP and Top Rank, Pacquiao?s promoter, are co-staging the much-awaited rematch at the 12,000-set a Events Center inside Mandalay Bay.
“Marquez is always busy and hardly takes a day off (in training),” said Gonzalez yesterday from Los Angeles.
Nevado De Toluca is 80 kilometers west of Mexico City and is 15,000 feet above sea level but Gonzalez could not say exactly if Marquez indeed trains at this lung-busting altitude.
Assuming Marquez does not go direct to Mexico?s fourth highest peak, the city of Toluca, just 50 kilometers from the Mexican capital, is a perfect alternative at 8,790 feet above sea level. (Note: Baguio City is 5,000 feet above sea level).
Gonzalez said Marquez is so determined to win that when he came face-to-face with Pacquiao during last week?s press conference in Beverly Hills, California, ringsiders immediately took note of his appearance.
“A lot of people who were also there at the press conference told me that Marquez already looked in shape, while Pacquiao looked fat. The belief is that he (Pacquiao) was weighing around 145 to 147 lbs at that time,” said Gonzalez.
Gonzalez said some people surmised that Pacquiao had been drinking lots of “cerveza” (he?s an endorser San Miguel Beer along with action star Jet Li)
Marquez kicked off his training at the height of the Christmas season, while Pacquiao began his only last week and has since logged five training days at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Hollywood.
Wild Card guru Freddie Roach also said yesterday that he will have to work behind closed doors with Pacquiao on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila) as the gym is beginning to get “very crowded.”
“I have UFC fighters coming in as well as my other boxers,” said Roach.
More than Marquez?s World Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight title belt, the pride of Mexico will be at stake in Marquez?s second defense of the 130-lb crown he won from Marco Antonio Barrera last year.
