Roach unfazed by Marquez size, shape

MANILA, Philippines - Juan Manuel Marquez raised some eyebrows when he held a media workout at the Romanza Gym in Mexico City yesterday.

Marquez looked in great shape and in fact could be in his greatest shape ever as he heads toward his Dec. 8 battle with Manny Pacquiao.

The 39-year-old Mexican, the only fighter in the last few years to give Pacquiao real trouble inside the ring, is full of muscles.

Photos of Marquez in a sleeveless shirt, working the mitts and hitting the speed ball were provided by Zanfer Promotions, and were posted on the Internet.

They didn’t escape the eyes of Pacquiao’s chief trainer, Freddie Roach.

“He’s big,” the five-time Trainer of the Year was quoted by www.philboxing.com as saying.

But it’s not something Roach hadn’t seen before.

When Pacquiao and Marquez met for the third time last November, the Mexican looked like a smaller version of Lou Ferrigno.

Marquez was big and strong inside the ring, and in three meetings with Pacquiao, came closest to victory, only to take another controversial defeat.

Roach said during Tuesday’s conference call that building those size and shape of muscles won’t help Marquez.

“I don’t think it is a factor,” said Roach, also making sure that Pacquiao will be in tip-top shape for what could be the Fight of the Year.

“I don’t think muscle-men have a better chin. If anything, I think if you put a lot of muscle he will be a little slower than he used to be and we are going to take advantage of that,” he added.

Marquez doesn’t care about what others say.

“We have prepared a lot. We know Pacman (Pacquiao) and know how to fight him and how to beat him,” he said after his packed media workout at the gym owned by his trainer, Nacho Beristain.

“Now we are going for the victory, for the knockout and finally show who is the best,” added Marquez in a statement released by his promoters.