Boxing News: Juan Manuel Marquez To Return in December, Will He Face Manny Pacquiao?
Juan Manuel Marquez is not ready to call it quits as reports revealed the Mexican boxing warrior will fight two more times before retiring for good.
Strength and conditioning coach Angel "Memo" Heredia told BoxingScene that Marquez has decided to fight again in December in front of his fans in Mexico. And after his planned bout in December, the former world champion will fight again in May in the United States.
Marquez, who holds a 56-7-1 record with 40 victories by knockout, has not fought for more than year. He last stepped inside the ring in May last year, when he ran away with a unanimous decision win against Mike Alvarado to take the vacant World Boxing Organization International welterweight title.
The 42-year-old Mexican reportedly sustained a knee injury, which forced him to prolong his hiatus. But after talking Zanfer Promotions officials, the four-division world champion decided to return for two more fights.
Will He Face Manny Pacquiao?
Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao is still interested in facing Marquez because the former pound-for-pound king wants to avenge his sixth-round knockout loss to his Mexican nemesis in December 2012.
Pacquiao is currently recovering from a shoulder injury he sustained while training for his record-setting showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. According to recent reports, Pacquiao will return in early 2016, which makes a rematch with Marquez possible.
However, trainer Nacho Beristain is reportedly eyeing Kell Brook or Timothy Bradley. Beristain insisted that Marquez should fight for a world title in order to fulfil his goal of winning five world titles in as many divisions.
Pacquiao does not hold a world title after losing to Mayweather. On the other hand, Brook is the reigning International Boxing Federation welterweight champion, while Bradley is the reigning World Boxing Organization welterweight titlist.
In a recent interview, Beristain expressed willingness to face both champions, but the veteran trainer quickly added that a fight against Brook should not be held in England.
"If he returns, I think it should be for a championship," Beristain told ESPN Deportes as reported by BoxingScene. "I think it doesn't matter to him whether it's Tim Bradley or Kell Brook, but for me Brook is better, but that would have to be in the United States because I would not like to go to England."
Brook is set to defend his IBF welterweight title against Diego Gabriel Chavez on Oct. 24 in England, while Bradley will reportedly put his WBO title at stake on Nov. 7 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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