The promotion for next Saturday’s third fight between welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez took an interesting twist this week when word came out that Angel Hernandez, formerly known as Angel Heredia, once was involved in the distribution of illegal substances such as steriods and the blood-doping agent EPO.
Hernandez was hired by Marquez as a strength and conditioning coach for this fight against Pacquiao, which will take place at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Coincidentally, it was Victor Conte of BALCO notoriety who noticed Hernandez on last week’s edition of HBO’s 24/7 and sent out tweets about it.
Hernandez testified in the 2008 BALCO-related trial of former track coach Trevor Graham, who had former track standout Marion Jones as one of his clients.
Hernandez testified he gave Jones EPO among other things at the behest of Graham.
This is not to suggest Hernandez – or is it Heredia? – is giving Marquez anything illegal. But Marquez and his trainer, Nacho Beristain, were grilled about it during a conference call this week.
Specifically, one reporter wanted to know why Marquez supposedly didn’t know about Hernandez’s past.
“I just know that when I met him his background was with elite athletes,” Marquez said.
“We discussed what I needed to do. I didn’t find out anything about this stuff that has been written until the last few days. It was big news to me, but it is a shame because of all the work I have done and preparation has Advertisement
been thrown into the trash can by this guy Conte and (Alex) Ariza by saying these things.
“I worked very hard, but I’m not going to stop training for the fight. Whatever testing they want to do, blood or Olympic, I am ready to do it. We’ll do it, no problem, as long as he (Pacquiao) does it, too.”
Ariza, Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach, has wondered aloud how Marquez got so big in such a short time. That at least suggests the use of something illicit.
But Beristain, a legend in Mexico, said only Marquez’s hardwork and Hernandez’s wealth of knowledge are responsible for Marquez’s outstanding training camp.
“I have the most respect for the work he has done for us,” Beristain said. “When Juan Manuel comes to the gym he has the power and energy, a guy that I know I can work with and will be ready.
“That’s why I think we will win the fight. I have the utmost respect for what he has done and how Juan has responded to his work.”
Bob Arum is promoting this fight, which will be contested at a catch-weight of 144 pounds, three under the welterweight limit. In the past Arum has had to defend Pacquiao from similar suggestions about possible steroid use because he kept moving up in weight and winning titles.
Arum this week found himself defending Marquez, who is the smaller guy.
“Many of you are really behind the times,” Arum said to reporters on a conference call. “Conte and Hernandez were implicated in the use of steroids in the so-called BALCO case. The two of them are the least to be involved in steroids since they have learned their lesson.
“Secondly, people who understand getting athletes ready know now that you don’t use steroids – not because they are good guys – but because natural supplements, used correctly, have the same effect of steroids without the bad part, without the rage and the future health concerns.”
Arum finished by saying, “You are talking about things that existed five or 10 years ago that are not currently being used.”
It’s nice to know Arum has become such an expert on PEDs. It almost sounds like that last line was something he made up on the fly.
As for Pacquiao, he said little when asked what he thought about this revelation regarding Hernandez.
“I have no comment on that,” he said.
Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, took the high road during an interview Thursday at his Wild Card Gym in Hollywood.
“You know what? Everyone has accused me and Manny of using illegal drugs,” Roach said. “I’m not going to do the same thing. I’m going to take it as this guy’s working hard.
“I’m not going to accuse anyone.”
Roach said in this day and age as soon as an athlete gets into optimum shape, there are suggestions something is rotten in Denmark.
“Why can’t they just say, `He’s working hard,’ ” Roach said. “My guys work hard and I’m going to say I take my hat off to him (Marquez) for working hard.”
Pacquiao is the world’s most popular fighter. He and Marquez already have fought twice with Pacquiao getting a draw and split-decision victory in fights Marquez thought he won.
In other words, this fight already was going to do well on HBO pay-per-view. With this added controversy, it’s going to do even better.
Arum probably is happy about it because the dollar signs in his eyes just got bigger.
Without steroids.
Risk is worth reward for Angulo, Kirkland
One thing promoters have not done much over the decades is put two of their best fighters against each other. But that will be the case tonight when Alfredo Angulo takes on James Kirkland in a junior middleweight title elimination bout in Cancun, Mexico (on HBO).
Not only do Angulo and Kirkland fight under the Golden Boy Promotions banner, they are top-flight boxers who could provide fans with a Fight-of-the-Year type of performance.
Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, was asked this week why he made this fight.
“It’s one of those fights people get excited about,” he said. “If you look at 154 pounds, Ithink this is one of the most exciting punch-for-punch fights one can put together.
“It’s not easy to please HBO to get these dates as they have very high standards on who they accept as fights. That is one of the fights they wanted.”
First he had to convince Angulo and Kirkland to take it.
“I talked to the fighters and they were willing to do it,” Schaefer said. “It’s a high risk for either one of those fighters and for us as well. And talk about excitement, this fight has
excitement written all over it.”
It really does. Angulo is 20-1 with 17knockouts. Kirkland, whose career was interrupted for two years because of a prison sentence he received in 2009, is 29-1 with 26knockouts.
Angulo is 29, Kirkland is 27. Both are vicious.
It’s the type of scenario Schaefer would like to see more of.
“Yeah, I think that is what people want to see,” Schaefer said. “Boxing is entertainment and people want to be entertained with action fights. They want to watch boxing, they don’t want to see dancing.
“Otherwise they can go watch `Dancing with the Stars.”‘
Kirkland set the tone during a conference call this week.
“The thing with Angulo, he’s a surprising fighter,” Kirkland said.
“He can try to pull out different types of strategies, but the main thing that he likes to do is he comes forward. And one thing that Kirkland is prepared for, I’m prepared for battle.”
Said Angulo: “There will be no hugging or dancing.”
They will be fighting for the right to fight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. He’s promoted by, you guessed it, Golden Boy.
