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 News from Around the Americas | March 2008 
Marquez v Pacquiao: Rematch Pressed
 Nick Giongco - Manila Bulletin
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Los Angeles — Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) is hell-bent in staging an immediate rubber match between Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez and his Filipino tormentor Manny Pacquiao, GBP publicity director head Ramiro Gonzalez told the Bulletin on Tuesday.
"Golden Boy Promotions is looking forward to hold the rematch as soon as possible and we would like to tell Marquez that we are solidly behind him," said Gonzalez.
Marquez was knocked down in the third round with just one shot — a left cross by the Filipino — and was rocked badly in the tenth but wound up finishing the fight on his feet with Pacquiao eking out a razor-thin split verdict to capture the World Boxing Council (WBC) super-featherweight crown in Las Vegas over the weekend.
Gonzalez said "it was a great fight (and) great atmosphere," and "in the end someone has to win and someone has to lose."
For me I had Marquez (winning by) one point or (the fight could have been ruled) a draw," said Gonzalez, who formerly worked as a sportswriter for La Opinion before being recruited by the Oscar de la Hoya-owned GBP to handle the media affairs of the Los Angeles-based company.
But Team Pacquiao has other plans next and foremost on the agenda is a crack at David Diaz’s WBC lightweight title in late-June or early-July, according to Top Rank boss Bob Arum.
Arum also promotes the Chicago-bred Diaz and the 76-year-old Hall of Fame promoter was uninterested in having Pacquiao and Marquez go at it for the third time, saying Marquez has to wait for another opportunity since Pacquiao is not even mandated to give him a third fight as there is no clause in the contract that guarantees him of such.
Marquez’s training team as well as GBP insists that the 34-year-old counter-puncher had been robbed of a win as he boxed exceptionally well despite being floored early in the action-packed match before 11,060 fans at Mandalay Bay.
Marquez said the 29-year-old Pacquiao only won four rounds the most but there were as much as four rounds that had been awarded to his foe that should have been his.
Upon his setting foot in Mexico City on Sunday night, Marquez told the press that he will take a break from training but should be showing up for training in time for his return to action in September or October.
The decision triggered a war of words involving Marquez’s training team and GBP against Arum during the post-fight press conference.
Arum said people in boxing should learn how to live with close decisions like Pacquiao-Marquez 2.
Arum "sparred" with GBP Chief Executive Officer Richard Schaefer and Jaime Quintana, who is Marquez’s adviser and translator, during the much-talked about incident. |
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