Beristain: 5th tiff depends on Marquez

MANILA, Philippines - If legendary trainer Nacho Beristain will have his way, there will no longer be a fifth fight between his ward Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao.

After all, Marquez, according to Beristain, has settled the score between him and Pacquiao when the Mexican knocked the Filipino out cold in the sixth round of their fight last December.

It was the fourth bout in a storied rivalry, something boxing observers and fans seem to have a hard time wrapping up. A fifth encounter between Marquez and Pacquiao is being explored for September, and Pacquiao’s promoter Top Rank is keen on pursuing it.

Beristain, however, already wants none of it.

“There is still a lot of interest in a fight between Juan Manuel and Pacquiao. I’m the one who does not want it for Marquez. It would be a dangerous fight,” Beristain told boxingscene.com’s Miguel Rivera.

The man widely credited for crafting the blueprint to beat Pacquiao sure recognizes the risk a fifth fight poses for Marquez. The two bitter rivals traded knockdowns in their last fight, and Pacquiao was pummeling Marquez in the fifth and sixth rounds before the Mexican ended the grueling fight with a perfectly timed right straight to finish off the Filipino icon.

“I have an obligation, as the person in charge of the corner, to look out for my fighter. People think their rivalry has burned itself out, but there is still a lot of interest,” Beristain said.

Beristain, however, admitted that another fight with Pacquiao might be the most lucrative option for Marquez. The Mexican counterpuncher himself has gone on record about his lack of interest in a fifth showdown with Pacquiao, but some observers believe Marquez can eventually be lured by money.   

“With a fifth fight, he (Marquez) might become the highest paid athlete in the history of Mexican sports, but (the offer for a fifth fight might not be) sufficient,” Beristain said, adding that they have other options in case Pacquiao-Marquez 5 won’t happen.

“In Dubai, a prince is offering him $15 million tax free to fight an African opponent over there. There are other offers being reviewed. I have always believed that the fighter is the only one who has the right to decide what he wants to do,” added the trainer.

In the end, Beristain said Marquez has the final say.

“If he continues in boxing or decides to retire, I have to keep supporting him because he has been with me for 14 years. I will accept whatever he wants to do with great pleasure,” said Beristain.