Marquez next after Mosley for Manny?

MANILA, Philippines - Trainer Freddie Roach is speculating that Juan Manuel Marquez may be WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao’s next opponent after Sugar Shane Mosley, if Floyd Mayweather Jr. doesn’t step up to the plate, and the fight will be the Filipino ring icon’s last this year.

Pacquiao, 32, fought twice in 2009 and twice last year. In a recent interview in Manila before leaving for Baguio City to train Pacquiao, Roach said he expects the fighting congressman from Sarangani to fight once more this year after Mosley. Since the turn of the century, Pacquiao has logged two fights in six different years (2002, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010), three fights in four years (2000, 2003, 2006, 2008) and four fights in one year (2001).

Although Marquez is now considered “too small” for Pacquiao, Roach said he’d like the opportunity to shut the Mexican’s mouth up once and for all. Marquez weighed in at 134 pounds for his ninth round stoppage of Michael Katsidis in Las Vegas last November and the most he has scaled for a bout was 142 pounds in losing a decision to Mayweather in 2009. The Mexican holds the “super” WBA and WBO lightweight titles. The lightweight division has a weight limit of 135 pounds. Pacquiao, in contrast, rules the WBO welterweight division, which has a weight limit of 147.

The highest Pacquiao has weighed for a fight was 145 3/4 pounds in outpointing Joshua Clottey in March last year. He tipped the scales at 144 1/2 for his win over Antonio Margarito last November.

Marquez, 37, has fought two fights in a year since 2007. His record is 52-5-1, with 38 KOs, and has lost only to Mayweather, Pacquiao, Chris John, Freddie Norwood and Javier Duran – none by knockout.

If Pacquiao and Marquez face off, it will be their third encounter. They battled to a split 12-round draw in their first meeting in 2004. Pacquiao, however, should’ve won a split decision if not for judge Burt Clements making a mistake in scoring the first round 10-7 instead of 10-6 which was what the two other judges scored as Marquez suffered three knockdowns. Clements later admitted the error but the Nevada Athletic Commission refused to change the outcome. In the rematch in 2008, Pacquiao floored Marquez in the third round enroute to pounding out a split 12-round verdict. Since their second fight, both fighters have traveled different routes. Pacquiao went on to capture titles in the lightweight, lightwelterweight, welterweight and superwelterweight categories while Marquez has added only the lightweight crown.

Marquez has been calling out Pacquiao for a third match and even flew to Manila once to goad the Filipino into agreeing to another fight. The Mexican insisted he was robbed of two wins over Pacquiao and last year, appeared in a press conference wearing a T-shirt proclaiming he beat the Filipino twice.

There’s a possibility that Mayweather may come around to fight Pacquiao after all before the year ends. Mayweather has reportedly initiated talks that could lead to a megabuck showdown with the Filipino after the unbeaten Pretty Boy Floyd figures in a tune-up. The word is Mayweather is considering a tune-up against Marco Antonio Barrera or Erik Morales, both Pacquiao victims.

But Mayweather has to take care of his legal problems before even thinking of Barrera, Morales or Pacquiao. He is accused of grand larceny, coercion and robbery by his former girlfriend Josie Harris and faces up to 34 years in prison if found guilty of felony charges. An evidence hearing is set April 28 in Las Vegas. Mayweather is also facing a misdemeanor battery charge and the trial for the case is set April 25. Money will settle both cases quickly and that may prompt Mayweather to speed up negotiations for the ultimate duel with Pacquiao. If money is the answer to Mayweather’s legal problems, then Pacquiao is the solution. It is expected that Mayweather could bankroll at least $50 million in battling Pacquiao in what could be the biggest pay-per-view fight grosser ever.

Roach is now in Baguio City training both Pacquiao and WBA lightwelterweight champion Amir Khan of England. He recently confirmed that he will be training Filipino featherweight contender Bernabe Concepcion who hasn’t fought since losing to WBO champion Juan Manuel Lopez on a second round knockout in Puerto Rico last July. Concepcion decked Lopez in the first round before capitulating. He is tentatively set to fight in a Mandalay Bay card on May 6, the day before Pacquiao battles Mosley.