MANILA, Philippines – Boxing trainer Freddie Roach prefers that his prized boxer, WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao, face Floyd Mayweather Jr. next instead of Juan Manuel Marquez.

After the controversial decision in the Pacquiao-Marquez trilogy last Saturday, Mayweather said he was now open to fighting the Filipino champion.

“He [Floyd] has already expressed his willingness. We will not be pursuing him as we’ve been doing the past few years,” Roach said in Philboxing.com. “If we can get him [Floyd], we should take him.”

Roach, however, admitted that Pacquiao has the last say on his choice of opponent.

Boxing promoter Bob Arum earlier said he was willing to work out a rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez in light of the controversial outcome of their WBO welterweight title fight.

Pacquiao won a majority decision over the Mexican fighter in a closely-fought match.

Mayweather’s camp, on the other hand, is calling on Pacquiao to finally step up for their much anticipated superfight.

“Bob, obviously, wants Marquez on the strength of the closeness of the last fight (held Saturday at the MGM Grand) won by Manny by a majority decision. He has to talk with Manny and ask him who he prefers to face next,” Roach said.

“If Manny decides it’s Mayweather, then we will start mapping out the plans of training. If it’s Marquez, then we’ll also make plans to beat him convincingly ,” he said.

 

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/sports/11/18/11/roach-prefers-pacquiao-floyd-fight

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The numbers-crunchers fear Juan Manuel Marquez’s second welterweight fight will mirror his disappointing debut in that division.

They’re concerned that Marquez just can’t compete with top opponents above the junior welterweight limit, even if his fight Saturday night in Las Vegas will be contested at a contracted catch weight of 144 pounds, three beneath the welterweight limit.

Many of those involved in this WBO welterweight title fight disagree. They think Marquez’s third fight against Manny Pacquiao will be much more competitive and compelling than his one-sided, 12-round defeat to undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. two years ago in Las Vegas.

“Mayweather is a defensive fighter,” said Bob Arum, whose company, Top Rank Inc., promotes Pacquiao and Marquez. “If you’re a counter-puncher, you lose your advantage against a defensive fighter because, as a counter-puncher, you need somebody to make the fight against you. And so I am looking forward to this fight [being] another classic.”

Mexico’s Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs) insists that fighting at the highest weight of his 18-year pro had “nothing” to do with his pedestrian performance in the Mayweather mismatch.

“I think it had everything to do with his style,” Marquez said. “He’s a defensive fighter, who doesn’t like to engage. He’ll never fight and it’s difficult to make him fight, [because] he’s so good. The styles, with Manny, it’ll make for a great fight.”

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao’s trainer, doesn’t think the 38-year-old Marquez’s skills have deteriorated all that much, certainly not to the degree the wide odds suggest. He obviously expects Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) to win, but he doesn’t anticipate an easy fight.

“I’m not so sure how much he’s slipped,” Roach said. “He didn’t look great against Mayweather, but Mayweather’s a talented guy. You have to take that into consideration.”

Pacquiao is about an 8-1 favorite as the HBO Pay-Per-View main event approaches, but Roach added, “We won’t underestimate him at all.”

By: Keith Idec

 

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=45826

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World Boxing Organization (WBO) Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel is aware that the process of making a dream fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather is very complicated. That said, Valcarcel believes that the best option, for the meantime, would be a fight with WBO Jr. Welterweight champion Timothy Bradley or IBF Jr. Welterweight champion Amir Khan.

Precisely, Bradley will be part of the Pacquiao-Marquez undercard, when he defends his WBO title against Cuban Joel Casamayor.

For Valcarcel, a rematch between Pacquiao and the WBA Jr. Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto, who Pacquiao defeated by TKO in 2009, is unlikely

Cotto is currently preparing to defend his title in a rematch against Antonio Margarito on December 3 in New York City.

“The fight should be against Mayweather, but the path to making the fight happen is complicated, although Bob Arum is an artist of negotiations. But there are a lot of people involved. Inpites of Mayweather being his own promoter, he still has some agreements with Golden Boy. There are many promoters involved in this process”, stated Valcarcel

“I think Timothy Bradley and even Amir Khan are two good options for Pacquiao, once he gets past Marquez. I don’t see Cotto as an option, but I don’t disregard him totally”.

Article by: Carlos Narváez Rosario, EL VOCERO  November 8, 2011

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This past Saturday afternoon, Santa Anita Park hosted legendary Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and two of his fighters, Juan Manuel Marquez and Timothy Bradley, who took part in a media workout where all three met with members of the horse racing and boxing media and also chatted with fans and signed autographs.  WBO Junior welterweight champion Bradley will be taking on Joel Casamayor in a twelve round world title fight as part of the Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III undercard on November 12th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Bradley is focused on Casamayor, because a win will place him in line for the big fights in 2012. Bradley wants them all, Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and even junior welterweight rival Amir Khan. There has been a lot of talk about a possible fight with Pacquiao in 2012. Bradley is picking Pacquiao to defeat Marquez, and he already sees a few exposable flaws in the Filipino boxer.

“I’ll take Manny in this fight (against Marquez). Manny just has too much size on him. I think it’s going to be a great fight. I’d have to fight a perfect fight to beat (Pacquiao) but I’ve seen weaknesses that I know I could expose and would win that fight. I’ll fight Mayweather right now. I’ll fight Manny. I’ll fight Khan. I’ll fight whoever they put in my way. I don’t care who it is. Just bring them on.”

 

By Pawel Pronishev

http://www.boxingscene.com/?m=show&opt=printable&id=45752

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