Marquez: Pacquiao, you're next

MANILA, Philippines - Juan Manuel Marquez yesterday called on Manny Pacquiao to train hard for their Nov. 12 showdown in Las Vegas.

“I just wanted to tell him to prepare himself,” said Marquez after knocking out Likar Ramos right in the first round yesterday.

The non-title fight that took place in Cancun was supposed to serve as a tuneup for Marquez in preparation for Pacquiao.

But it hardly served its purpose because Ramos, a southpaw from Colombia, was knocked out cold after taking a big right from Marquez.

Ramos stayed longer down on the canvas than the one minute and 47 seconds that he was up on his feet.

They should have lined up two opponents for Marquez if only they knew that Ramos would go down that easy.

Still, Marquez said the early knockout was a result of a very good punch.

“I was hoping it would have lasted longer but sometimes that’s how it goes,” Marquez told www.philboxing.com <http://www.philboxing.com/> .

“I happened to get a great punch on him and he couldn’t take it, sometimes that is the way fights go,” Michael Marley of The Examiner wrote.

“I will prepare well for Pacquiao and I want him to do that also. We can give the fans a war. (Floyd) Mayweather is so defensive a fighter...but with Pacquiao, it’s going to be a war.”

Marquez weighed in 138 pounds against Ramos, but will have to put on a little more weight in his third clash with Pacquiao, the reigning WBO weltwerweight champion.

Marquez wanted to send a message to Pacquiao that he’s ready for war. But it was unlikely though that Pacquiao caught his fight live on television.

Pacquiao partied hard the night before, gracing the grand birthday bash of Jake Joson, the boxer’s close friend, at Opus of the Resorts World.

Pacquiao arrived at the party close to midnight and was joined in his corner by former Ilocos Sur Gov. Chavit Singson and a few other close friends.