Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez. AP File Photo
As far as promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach are concerned, Juan Manuel Marquez is merely “bluffing” to boost his worth and will ultimately agree to a fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao.
“His (Marquez) idea of negotiations,” Arum, CEO of Top Rank Promotions, told Rick Reeno of BoxingScene.com. on Tuesday.
Marquez announced recently that there’s no point for another showdown with Pacquiao, whom he knocked out cold in the sixth round last Dec. 8 at MGM Grand, because the desired result had been achieved.
Roach, a four-time Trainer of the Year, was on the same wave length with Arum.
Arum and Fernando Beltran, Marquez’s promoter, have earlier announced their desire to pursue Pacquiao-Marquez 5 in September, with Macau and Mexico as probable sites.
Though Pacquiao-Marquez 4 was held in Las Vegas, Nevada, Arum wants to take the fifth fight out of the United States due to the steep taxes (39 percent) to be imposed.
In another interview with BoxingScene.com, Roach said Marquez will eventually negotiate because he “really doesn’t have anything else (but the Pacquiao fight).”
According to Roach, only a fight with either Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Saul “Canelo” Alvarez would approximate what Marquez stands to earn against Pacquiao.
In Pacquiao-Marquez 4, Marquez was guaranteed $6 million, but the imposing victory last December certainly spiked his bargaining power.
Roach, however, said Marquez won’t fight Mayweather again as he was dominated by the American when they tangled in 2009 in the Mexican’s first foray at 146 pounds.
Alvarez, on the other hand, is deemed to be too big for Marquez at 154 pounds.
While Roach acknowledges that Tim Bradley and the winner between Brandon Rios and Mike Alvarado are probable rivals for Marquez, none of them could give the four-division world champion the same retirement check he stands to get from Pacquiao. Roy Luarca