Juan Manuel Marquez Next Fight: 'Dinamita' Considering Manny Pacquiao, Timothy Bradley for Next Fight?
Juan Manuel Marquez is planning to stage a comeback in October or November and he is thinking of two worthy opponents he faced in the past for his next fight.
Marquez, or "Dinamita" to his boxing fans, is considering a rematch against Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao or with former two-division world champion Timothy Bradley, World Boxing News reported.
The 41-year-old Mexican superstar faced the 36-year-old Filipino pride four times in the ring, but their avid fans are still treating their match-up as a never-ending boxing saga.
The two fighters initially met in 2004, with the fight ending in a controversial draw, since Pacquiao knocked down the then-WBA and IBF featherweight champion. In 2008, they collided again, with Pacquiao proclaimed as the winner via a split decision. However, some journalists scored their cards in favor of Marquez, despite him being knocked down once by the younger opponent, noted AllTheBestFights.com.
In 2011, they clashed for the third time, with "Pacman" proclaimed the winner again, through a majority decision. Just a year after that, the two boxers fought for the fourth time, with "Dinamita" scoring a win via a knock out that stopped the world that moment.
If "Dinamita" is willing to have another match with Pacquiao for the fifth time, it will negate his earlier statement just last year.
"I've been offered a lot of money for a fight with Pacquiao. But for me honor, prestige, and respect for a country comes first. And, why do a fifth fight? Considering we won," Marquez told the press, as quoted by Boxing Tribune News. For the Mexican fighter, his win over Pacman was already sealed in their fourth battle, as he felt cheated in the first three wins, noted the site.
On the other hand, Marquez clashed with Bradley in 2013, with the American boxer able to defend his WBO welterweight title then, via a split decision, ESPN reported.
"I came to win. I felt that I did win. The judges took it away. You don't have to knock out a guy to win," the Mexican boxer said after the fight.
However, for these matches to happen, "Dinamita," who was last seen in 2014 defeating Mike Alvarado, must fully recover from his kneecap injury without surgery, as advised by his doctor.
"The right kneecap isn't in the proper place and I'm in rehab to treat it..I'm setting myself a time of one and a half to two months.." Marquez conveyed to World Boxing News.
"I still have the hunger, I still possess the ambition and I still have the fire. First and foremost I'm a fighter with the heart and the mentality of a fighter. I want that fifth Championship. For me hunger for success is the most telling factor...So firstly I need to recover, second find a rival and then war! If everything goes well, I'm planning to fight again in October or November," the Mexican fighter added.
Thus, retirement is out of the question for "Dinamita" for now, as confirmed, too, by his conditioning coach, Angel "Memo" Heredia.
"I talked to him and he said that he wants to do two more fights. One in the U.S. then one farewell fight in Mexico before he retires," Heredia told BoxingScene.com.
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