FOURTH MARQUEZ FIGHT TOO RISKY FOR PACMAN–GELLO-ANI
NOTING that Juan Manuel Marquez is perhaps the only boxer who knows how to neutralize Manny Pacquiao’s boxing style, promoter Sammy Gello-ani said that the Filipino ring icon is taking a lot of risks by facing his Mexican archrival for the fourth time.
“I’m pretty sure Manny has taken a lot of risk in fighting Marquez for the fourth time. Marquez has proven himself a powerful counter-puncher for Pacquiao. Marquez’s counterpunching style is a threat,” Gelloani told The Manila Times. “It will give Manny a lot of trouble.”
But in terms of potential fight revenue, Gello-ani said that Pacquiao did the right thing, “From a promoter’s point of view, Pacquiao did the right thing to choose Marquez because he can’t make more money if ever he chooses Timothy Bradley.”
According to Top Rank boss Bob Arum, Pacquiao’s last fight with Marquez has pay-per-view revenue of 1.25 million, while the match with Bradley only yielded $850,000.
Gello-ani also said that Pacquiao must train doubly hard to regain his former speed and explosiveness in the ring, “But if he trains seriously and
Manny Pacquiao becomes the old deadly Pacquiao, I’m confident he’ll beat the Mexican convincingly,” adding, “There is a lot of distraction surrounding Pacquiao and now is the time to get rid of those.”
Between them, Pacquiao and Marquez have won world titles in 12 weight divisions and they will add another chapter to their intense rivalry when they fight on December 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas— scene of their first and third fights.
Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) was also in negotiations for a rematch against Bradley, who claimed Pacquiao’s welterweight world title with a controversial split-decision victory in Las Vegas on June 9.
Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto was also a possible opponent for Pacquiao, but he announced on Twitter last month that he would fight junior middleweight world champion Austin Trout on December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Pacquiao defeated Marquez in a majority decision in November — a third gut- wrenching result for Marquez against his Filipino foe.
In the build- up to that fight, Marquez had taunted Pacquiao with claims that he was the true winner of their first two clashes—a 2004 draw and a 2008 rematch that went to Pacquiao by a single point on a single scorecard.