Manny open to fight Marquez in Mexico

MANILA, Philippines - Manny Pacquiao isn’t ruling out a fourth fight against Juan Manuel Marquez in Mexico as he mulls options on his next fight in November. He says negotiations are open and leaves it to Top Rank chairman Bob Arum to recommend whatever is best at this stage in his ring career. A rematch with Timothy Bradley Jr. for the chance to regain his WBO welterweight crown is also under consideration.

Although the consensus is Pacquiao was robbed of a win over Bradley, the Filipino icon isn’t crying foul and wouldn’t even criticize the two judges – Duane Ford and Cynthia J. Ross – who both scored it 115-113 for the unbeaten challenger in the highly controversial fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas last Saturday night.

“I respect the decision, the judges and officials,” he said in an interview on Mexican TV with Marquez in the broadcast panel the other day. “It’s very clear I won the fight. But I accept the decision wholeheartedly. The decision has been done. Give credit to my opponent. That’s part of boxing. I don’t feel disappointed. I praise God and give thanks. I’m so calm to accept the decision. I have peace of mind, I feel love. I’m happy that God has a good plan for me.”

Pacquiao held no rancor and said in his mind, he didn’t lose. “It wasn’t a loss since in the heart of the fans and the people, I won,” he said. “I feel so strong. I can still fight. I’m excited for November.”

In case of a rematch with Bradley, Pacquiao said he now knows what to do to win. “I have to score a knockout,” he said, realizing the danger of leaving his fate in the hands of incompetent judges. Pacquiao said a fourth fight against Marquez is a possibility. “It depends on Bob and the negotiations,” he said. “If it’s Marquez, I want to do it in Mexico.” If it’s any consolation, Marquez told Pacquiao he scored it for the Filipino on a margin of four points over Bradley.

Pacquiao’s newly embraced religiosity has brought him to a level of serenity in the face of adversity. Not even what appears to be blatant robbery has caused him to rave or rant. Pacquiao constantly recites Bible verses to inspire others to follow the straight path.

“As a Catholic, I always expected to go to heaven but now that the Bible is my manual of life, I know I will go there as long as I always follow the commandments of God,” he said, quoted by Jeff Powell in The Daily Mail. “The choice is heaven or hell. I don’t want anyone to suffer eternal torment. I love everybody and I want all people to go with me to heaven.”

The religiosity, however, doesn’t mean a less ferocious Pacquiao in the ring. “I love Tim Bradley as a person and like a brother as I have learned to love everyone,” he continued. “That does not alter just because our job is to hurt each other. When I am approaching a fight, my concentration is entirely on boxing. Once the first bell rings, the mood changes. I flick the switch and all my ferocity is recharged.”

Pacquiao’s religious reformation has caught the attention of major media outlets like Sports Illustrated and USA Today. It’s a story that enhances Pacquiao’s legacy even more. “If I died before I changed, I would not have gone to the eternal kingdom,” said Pacquiao, quoted by Chris Mannix in Sports Illustrated (June 11, 2012). “I was an immoral man. Now, I am a new creation.”

It was Mannix who confirmed that Pacquiao was far from focused when he battled Marquez last November because of a spat with his wife Jinkee. “On the day of the fight, Manny went to Jinkee’s room to ask her to ride with him to the arena,” wrote Mannix. “The two argued for 40 minutes, pushing a scheduled 6 p.m. arrival to 7 and leaving Manny just enough time to dress and warm up with (Freddie) Roach for 10 minutes before going to the ring.”

Pacquiao told Mannix he has turned a new leaf. “I used to pray every day but then I kept on cheating (on Jinkee) and doing bad things,” said Pacquiao. “It’s different now. The old Manny Pacquiao is gone.” Mannix said the transformation is for real. “The couple have repaired their relationship in part because Pacquiao has backed up his promise to change,” wrote Mannix. “He removed the hard-core gamblers and drinkers from his inner circle. He gave away his cockfighting farm. He sold his casino and shut down his bar and restaurant in the Philippines. He still takes care of several employees; he gave one of his blackjack dealers the seed money to start her own clothing line. But he has cut the unsavoury elements out of his life.”

Bob Velin of USA Today said Pacquiao promised God he would change and he did. “He does Bible study and Bible-sharing up to two hours a day and says he loves to quote from what he calls his manual for life,” wrote Velin.