Manila, Philippines - Finally, here comes Juan Manuel Marquez, perhaps the only boxer in this planet that scares Freddie Roach.
The celebrated trainer has the right to feel that way, because Marquez had come close to beating Manny Pacquiao.
Not just once, but twice.
“I’m a little bit scared of that fight,” Roach told www.boxingscene.com at his famous Wild Card Gym in Los Angeles.
Roach was hosting a media workout for his other fighter, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., who’s up for a fight, when he talked about Marquez.
The 38-year-old Mexican fought Pacquiao to a controversial draw in 2004, and then came close to winning their anticipated rematch in 2008.
In fact, up to this day, he’s having dreams that he won both fights.
Yesterday, Marquez signed the contract, the most lucrative one he’d put his hands on, for the third fight with Pacquiao, set Nov. 12 in Las Vegas, at a catchweight of 144 pounds.
And it couldn’t be the last fight between the two warriors because there’s a rematch clause, but only if Marquez beats Pacquiao.
The match guarantees Marquez $5 million, and a lot more in the upside. Pacquiao should get no less than $20 million, his norm these days.
With Marquez signing the contract, it’s now Pacquiao’s turn to fill in the blank, maybe in a week or two, so promoter Bob Arum could get the ball rolling.
Roach feels that Marquez may have Pacquiao’s number, as shown in their two previous encounters at 126 and 130 pounds.
“I think Marquez might have our number. He can do well with certain styles and he seems to do well with our style. I think we’re bigger and better now. But that’s my good solution, that we’re bigger and better now.”
Marquez had gone down four times in 24 rounds with Pacquiao, but in both fights he also hurt Pacquiao many times, especially with his right.
Pacquiao’s style seem to suit Marquez so well.
“He just might know how to fight Manny Pacquiao,” Robert Morales wrote yesterday. It makes me think, so now I know I have my work cut out for me. I have to come up with a great game plan for that fight.”
“It’s obviously not an easy fight because, well, I know that he’ll come to fight,” said Roach.
That he can be sure of.
Source: philstar.com
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