As a jet-lagged Manny Pacquiao struggles to find his rhythm in Los Angeles, Juan Manuel Marquez is starting to showcase the form that he needs to score a sensational victory come Dec. 8 in Las Vegas.
From the valley of Mexico City (7,940 feet above sea level) and the high lands of Toluca (8,750 feet), reports reaching the Top Rank headquarters in Las Vegas reveal that Marquez is training as if his life depended on the outcome of his fourth fight with his Filipino rival.
In a recent sparring session at the Romanza Gym in Mexico City, Marquez struck sparmate Rocky Santillo with a sneaky right to the jaw, sending him down as though he had been hit with a baseball bat.
Before being sent to the deck, the southpaw Santillo was trying his best to mimic the moves of Pacquiao and engaging Marquez in toe-to-toe exchanges.
But as soon Marquez saw a small opening, he unloaded his favorite right straight, upbeat that the same thing would happen on fight night at the MGM Grand against Pacquiao.
?I have been told that Marquez is doing very, very well,? said Hall of Game promoter Bob Arum, who described Pacquiao as being ?rusty? during his first sparring at the Wild Card on Tuesday.
Even Spanish-speaking publicist Ricardo Jimenez, always in touch with Marquez, said the 39-year-old counter-puncher is right on track.
?He trains in Mexico City during the week and spends the weekend in Toluca for endurance training,? said Jimenez.
Marquez said he has been training almost non-stop the last six months and that he has to be in the best possible shape for Pacquiao.
