Juan Manuel Marquez need not worry about keeping referee Joe Cortez far away from the ring when the Mexican champion faces Manny Pacquiao on March 15 in Las Vegas.
Marquez said recently he wants anybody but Cortez, the seasoned Puerto Rican referee, to work the biggest fight of his life. He said he?d file a protest if Cortez would be tapped for the fight.
The World Boxing Council, through its president Jose Sulaiman, said there?s no need for Marquez, who will stake his super-featherweight crown against Pacquiao, to do that.
According to an article which came out of Mexican newspaper Esto the other day, the WBC will coordinate with the Nevada State Athletic Commission regarding Marquez? request.
The WBC will ask the NSAC not to designate Cortez, who has worked over 170 world title fights, for the coming rematch at Mandalay Bay since there are other qualified referees under the commission.
Sulaiman said he will be ?very kind? in presenting the case.
?Everything is well for my fight against Pacquiao except for one thing: if they designate Joe Cortez I am going to reject,? said Marquez, who said he didn?t like the way Cortez worked his fights against Freddie Norwood in 1999 and Pacquiao in 2004.
Things aren?t as rosy either between Cortez and the Pacquiao camp following the referee?s controversial call during the Pacquiao-Erik Morales fight in March 2005 in Las Vegas.
A big headbutt, as shown in replays, in the fifth round opened a very deep cut over Pacquiao?s right eye, but Cortez called it a punch.
?If Marquez doesn?t want Joe Cortez, we don?t want him, too. Freddie Roach said he doesn?t want Cortez to work a Pacquiao fight,? said Pacquiao adviser Wakee Salud.
Marquez can now resume with his training in Mexico assured that the WBC will bring his case to the powerful Nevada commission. There are only 55 days left before the fight, which is expected to generate 500,000 pay-per-view buys.
Pacquiao is also deep in training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood although sparring has yet to begin. Insiders said the arrival of Jinkee Pacquiao in Los Angeles has made Pacquiao even more inspired in his training.
Last Sunday, Pacquiao took a break from training and watched the LA Lakers-Cleveland Cavaliers NBA game at Staples Center with his wife. They watched the game from inside the private booth of Lakers owner Jerry Buss.
