MANILA, Philippines ? Juan Manuel Marquez admits that knocking out Manny Pacquiao on Nov. 12 in Las Vegas is very hard but the crafty Mexican insists he has the ammunition to do it.
Marquez, who turns 38 Tuesday, is an 8-1 underdog in what could possibly be his last chance at stardom.
Despite the odds, Marquez stressed that he has Pacquiao’s number.
?It will be difficult (to knock him out) but it is not impossible,? Marquez told boxingscene, still bitter all these years that he was robbed of a win when they fought the first time in May 2004 after the judges ruled the fight a split draw when they were featherweights (126 lbs)
The pain worsened in March 2008 when Pacquiao was awarded a split decision win in their super-feather (130 lbs) tussle.
In this rubber match, Pacquiao and Marquez will clash at a catchweight of 145 lbs not only Pacquiao’s World Boxing Organization welter crown is at stake but the mythical title as pound-for-pound is king on the line.
Marquez said he had clearly won the first two meetings by connecting ?more power shots? but lamented that ?judges did not see it that way.?
Meanwhile, it’s green and go for the arrival of boxing bigwigs from the US and Mexico for the Manila leg of the four-city Pacquiao-Marquez press tour that kicks off on Sept. 3 at the Quirino Grandstand.
From Manila, the tour will travel to New York City (Sept. 6), Los Angeles (Sept. 7) and Mexico City (Sept. 8).
After the Manila gig, Pacquiao will fly to the Big Apple on Sunday night via Philippine Airlines bound for San Francisco where his team will catch a red-eye United Airlines flight to John F. Kennedy International Airport.
Team Pacquiao will touch down in New York Monday morning, but since it is an American holiday ? Labor Day ? the press conference will be held the following day.
After New York, Pacquiao will head West Coast on a commercial flight for a similar event at the Berely Hills Hotel in Los Angeles.
For the LA-Mexico City-LA trip, Pacquiao will take a private plane.
Although Castro returned to the court after his ankle was bandaged, Petron was already running wild and not even his presence would make a difference.
