I AGREE with Bob Arum. Juan Manuel Marquez should stop taunting Manny Pacquiao.
Well, in fairness to Marquez, Marquez has sort of stopped doing that. It’s now Oscar dela Hoya who’s doing the taunting.
Dela Hoya made the pitch for a third Pacquiao-Marquez fight after Antonio Margarito lost in his bid to recapture his boxing license in the US. That means Arum will have to move the Pacquiao-Margarito fight on Nov. 13 to a venue outside of America.
Which is no big deal for Arum.
“We can always stage the fight in Mexico , or even in Dubai ,” said Arum.
Didn’t Arum also mention Macau as a possible venue for a Pacquiao fight?
I remember about Macau being in Arum’s mind after Pacquiao knocked out Erik Morales in the final chapter of their trilogy in November 2006 in Las Vegas . I was there.
“There’s a Wynn’s Hotel in Macau and it should also be nice staging a Pacquiao fight there sometime in the future,” Arum had said then.
It was at Wynn’s Hotel where Arum and Pacquiao’s entourage stayed during the 2006 Morales bout where Pacman knocked Erik out in the third round at the Mack & Knack Center .
But back to Arum’s take on Marquez.
I agree with Arum when he said Marquez should prove himself first as a welterweight before he thinks of fighting Pacquiao again.
“Against Mayweather, Marquez was a sorry sight,” said Arum, referring to Mayweather’s one-sided points victory over Marquez in September 2009. “Now he wants Pacquiao again?”
No doubt Marquez is good. But, at 36, Marquez, the lightweight champ (135 pounds), is also a bit old now for Pacquiao. At 33, Pacquiao is at his deadliest best.
Pacquiao, who earned a controversial draw against Marquez in 2004 despite flooring the Mexican three times in the first round, knocked down Marquez once en route to a split decision in their 2008 rematch.
What’s with dela Hoya that he wants another Pacquiao-Marquez fight?
Pacquiao has grown big as a welterweight but not Marquez. Marquez even appeared a virtual midget against Mayweather last year. And, all this time, Mayweather’s been ducking Pacquiao.
What’s De La Hoya’s point?
Pointless.
(alsol47@yahoo.com)