NO CLOSURE YET The Philippines’ Manny Pacquiao jars Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez on his way to retaining his WBO welterweight title with a majority decision in their third fight in Las Vegas. AP FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines — It’s going to be Manny Pacquiao versus Juan Manuel Marquez — for the fourth time.
Boxing writer Dan Rafael of ESPN.com reports that another clash between Pacquiao and Marquez is set instead of a rematch with Timothy Bradley Jr., according to Top Rank promoter Bob Arum.
“We’re having a meeting about Manny’s next fight and to get everything finalized,” Arum told Rafael. “My goal is to finalize the Marquez fight, but I have to meet with (Michael Koncz).”
Arum met with Pacquiao’s adviser Koncz shortly after the presser of the Sergio Martinez-Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) to iron out the terms for the fight.
While the other details of the fight remain hazy, the venue — MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas — and the date — December 8 — are already a lock.
“It’s at the MGM,” Arum said in the same interview with Rafael. “The eighth is for sure. Vegas is for sure.”
Pacquiao holds a 2-0-1 record against Marquez in the last three blockbuster fights dating back to 2004 — all of which ended in a controversy.