Mexican boxing superstar Juan Manuel Marquez is training long and hard to be at his best ever, hoping to beat archrival Manny Pacquiao decisively in their fourth encounter on December 8 in Las Vegas.
Mexican sports daily Esto reported on Tuesday that Marquez, who has been training two weeks, ran 13 kilometers in his fourth roadwork at the foot of the snow-capped Nevado de Toluca, the favorite training grounds for famous boxers that include Hall of Fame champions Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. and Wilfredo Vazquez of Puerto Rico.
As in his previous runs in the hilly terrain of Mexico?s famous volcano about 45 minutes drive from Mexico City?s Romanza Boxing Gym, Marquez was up before sundown, accompanied by his trusted assistant, Raul de Anda.
Esto?s Ernesto Castellanos reported on Tuesday that Marquez, the World Boxing Council light welterweight champion, did stretching exercises, chopped wood, pounded a tire with a sledgehammer before embarking on the long roadwork at the scenic trails of Toluca.
Nevado de Toluca has an elevation of 8,750 feet above sea level, and is favorite haunt for boxers and athletes as well as mountain climbers and mountain bikers because of its year-round cool temperature which could drop to freezing in the winter.
Esto said that Juan Manuel, Mexico?s top prizefighter, wanted to test his strength and fitness and the test went smoothly.
?After working well the first two weeks, the body is aching, but later you get used to the training you feel good, like a well-oiled machine,? said Marquez, who wants to be in better shape for his December fight than he did the third time he fought Pacquiao on June 9.
The 39-year-old four-division world champion said that he wants to assault the hills of Toluca at least 10 times before the December fight to further increase his stamina in what he considers the biggest fight of his life.
Marquez and his long-time trainer Ignacio ?Nacho? Beristain think the sure way to beat Pacquiao is to knock him out, and they are working on that premise in training.
Both fighter and trainer insist Marquez won the first three fights, the first of which ended in a draw while Pacquiao won the second by split decision and the third by majority decision.
In Manila, local media reported that Pacquiao has started light workouts?running at the General Santos oval for about 4.8 kilometers and winding down with two sets of volleyball as in preparation for the big pay-per-view HBO-televised bout.
Pacquiao told ABS-CBN tele-vision that Marquez is a super counter-puncher and that Pacman intends to train harder and fight like the hungry boxer he was when he was 25.
