COMMENTARY | It should be obvious that Juan Manuel Marquez is in the final stretch of a legendary career. Marquez has even made it known that, in a best case scenario, there are only one or two fights left in him. This makes the future Hall of Famer, who has always taken a cerebral approach to the opponent selection process, especially particular about who’ll be his final opponents and under what circumstances the bouts will take place. Related Stories Juan Manuel Marquez Focuses on Future: No to Pacquiao, Provodnikov and Alvarado Yahoo Contributor Network Pacquiao-Bradley rematch set for April 12 The Associated Press Timothy Bradley on Rematch Against Manny Pacquiao: ‘Now I?m Not the Little Dog on the Block, I?m a Top Dog’ Yahoo Contributor Network Manny Pacquiao Facing Must-Win Fight with Timothy Bradley Rematch Yahoo Contributor Network One of boxing’s best has his sights set on Manny Pacquiao Yahoo Sports
Marquez has made it known that his primary goal is to become the first Mexican fighter to win world titles in five different weight classes and that goal keeps him locked into the welterweight division. When recently asked about the possibility of facing either Ruslan Provodnikov or Mike Alvarado, the legendary counter-puncher gave a decisive answer.
“Neither Alvarado nor Provodnikov are in my plans. I’m going forward,” Marquez told Boxingscene.”They are great fighters, and I’m not putting them down, but I gain nothing by fighting with them. If I beat Provodnikov I win a title that was already mine and Alvarado is not a champion. I have nothing to prove. I want a fifth world title and that’s my goal.”
But while Marquez is looking to make history, the Siberian Rocky, Provodnikov, is also looking to forge a path in history by fighting, beating, and retiring Marquez. For the emerging star, Marquez is exactly the kind of opponent he needs to beat in order to earn next-level stardom.
The heavy-handed battler and reigning WBO junior welterweight champ has spent the last several months calling out Marquez, trying to generate interest in a possible main stage pay-per-view match-up with little success. Provodnikov is now taking a more direct approach by questioning Marquez’s courage.
“Marquez now knows that Bradley is not fighting him until maybe the end of the year, and Marquez is not getting any younger, so I know that the only possible pay-per-view fight for Marquez that will draw is against me, and if he doesn’t agree to the fight now I am sure he is just afraid of me,” Provodnikov told Boxingscene.
Marquez has been around the boxing block a few times and understands the role of mind games in the sport. The 40-year-old, 21-year veteran won’t likely be moved to action by Provodnikov’s words on a boxing website. The taunt is probably more likely to illicit a knowing smile than boiling blood from Marquez, but there’s some truth behind the latest challenge.
No, Marquez isn’t “afraid.” He’s also not getting any younger and, as Provodnikov pointed out, there just aren’t that many possible big fight opponents left for the Mexican legend.
At the moment, Marquez is extremely limited in what he can do as someone solely interested in a welterweight title. IBF champ Shawn Porter and WBA champ Marcos Maidana are both under contract with Golden Boy and this prevents a match-up with Marquez, who is with Top Rank. Floyd Mayweather is the WBC champ, but nobody would suggest that Marquez try to meet him again after an embarrassing one-sided loss in 2009.
This leaves only one path to a title at 147.
Timothy Bradley, who decisioned Marquez last October, is putting his WBO belt on the line against Manny Pacquiao on April 12. If Bradley wins, there’s no guarantee that he would want to grant Marquez a rematch of a bout he feels he won decisively. If Pacquiao wins, however, Marquez will have a clear path to a title with a willing opponent, but it’ll force him back into the ring with the Filipino icon for a fifth time, something he vowed was not an option.
So, for a Marquez who wants to accomplish his final career goal, there really is only one option. It’s a victorious Pacquiao or nothing.
This means that Marquez has some thinking to do. He can change his mind on fighting Pacquiao, he can retire, or start picking fights with the young, hungry lions below him, like Ruslan Provodnikov.
