Para makalaban uli si Pacquiao, Marquez kailangan umakyat

Kung aakyat si dating Mexican world super featherweight titlist Juan Manuel Marquez sa light welterweight division ay tiyak itong muling lalabanan ni Filipino world four-division champion Manny Pacquiao. 

Sa panayam kahapon ng Fightfan.com, sinabi ni American trainer Freddie Roach na handa sila ni Pacquiao na pagbigyan si Marquez para sa hinahabol nitong ‘trilogy’.

 “If Marquez wants to come to 140 and the money is right… we’ll fight him again,” wika ni Roach. “Manny has no problem with that. To be honest, at this point with the way Manny is fighting I think we’ll finally get Marquez.”

 Kamakalawa ay inihayag ng 35-anyos na si Marquez ang pagnanais niyang makatagpo ang 30-anyos na si Pacquiao, lalabanan si Briton Ricky Hatton para sa world light welterweight crown sa Mayo 2.

 Isang draw ang itinakas ni Marquez sa kanilang super featherweight championship fight nila ni Pacquiao noong Mayo ng 2004 sa kabila ng tatlong beses na pagbagsak sa first round kasunod ang pagagaw ni “Pacman” sa World Boxing Council (WBC) super feather-weight belt ni “El Dinamita” via split decision noong Marso ng 2008.

 Ngunit bago pangarapin ang kanilang ‘trilogy’ ni Pacquiao, kailangan munang talunin ni Marquez si Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz sa Linggo sa Toyota Center sa Houston, Texas para sa World Boxing Organization (WBO) at World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight titles na binakante ni Nate Campbell.

 “That’s a very tough fight and I can’t wait to see it. I think that Marquez might be too smart for Diaz… but at the same time Diaz’s youth might be too much for Marquez. He’s a strong kid and he keeps coming,” ani Roach sa Marquez-Diaz fight. “It’s going to be a very interesting fight. I’ll pay to see this one.”

Samantala, tinawanan lamang ni Bob Arum ng Top Rank Promotions ang hinihinging $20 milyon ni American world five-division king Floyd May-weather, Jr. sa kanyang pagbabalik sa boxing ring matapos magretiro noong Disyembre ng 2007.

 “Look, Golden Boy went to Mayweather about fighting Shane Mosley and he wanted a $20 million guarantee,” ani Arum. “He is so bleeping way out of line that it is ridiculous. Nobody and no fight, against Manny or anyone else is going to get him $20 million guarantee.”

 Sa kabila nito, may posibilidad pa ring bumalik ang 28-anyos na si May-weather, ayon kay Arum.

“So is it possible that Mayweather will come back, I say yes but his expectations and aspirations are just too unreasonable,” sabi ni Arum kay “Pretty Boy”. (Russell Cadayona)