By Erickson Beco - Juan Manuel Marquez probably irked lots of boxing aficionados around the world after pulling off the “Marquez Beat Pacquiao Twice” trick after beating Michael Katisidis two weeks ago.
Count Alex Ariza among those who raised their eyebrows on Marquez that night.
Ariza, Manny Pacquiao’s strength and conditioning coach who has been credited for devising an amazing dietary and nutrition plan for the eight-division champion, has vocally admitted that he wants to see a third fight between his fighter and Marquez rather than bore himself with Pacquiao facing the aging Shane Mosley.
However, such event looks like a bleak possibility as of the moment as Marquez has been reportedly asking for a hefty sum to fight Pacquiao for the third time.
“Marquez needs to decide if he’s going to stop talking out of his mouth and out of his ass. He comes out and says ‘I beat Manny, I’ll fight Manny, I’ll fight Manny at 147.’ But when he talks out of his ass, he says ‘I’ll fight him for $ million.’ Do you see what I’m saying?”Ariza said, as quoted by Rick Reeno on Boxing Scene.
Marquez first fought the then-rising Pacquiao to a controversial draw on May 2004 to retain his WBA and IBF featherweight titles, before losing in their second faceoff five years later on March 2008 via another controversial split decision. With that, he has been down 0-2 in his head-to-head matchup with the boxer acknowledged as the sport’s top pound-for-pound fighter.
“Man up. Take whatever they are offering you and then kill him like you say you can, like you say you can beat him, and then go and get that big payday that you want,” Ariza continued.
“You know that you’re the king of the mountain after you beat Manny.”
With talks about Pacquiao’s next fight penned on April 16 next year at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Ariza sees no need for his fighter to take on Mosley and instead, should train his eyes on a third dance with Marquez — the Mexican counter-puncher who was the only one who ever came close to dealing Pacquiao his fourth career loss.
“Everybody knows I like Marquez,” says Ariza as quoted by Mark Vester in a previous write-up. “He’ll (Mosley) be tired after 15 minutes so what’s the point of that fight? Manny knocks him out and probably, Manny won’t even train for that fight.”
After witnessing Mosley “give up” against Floyd Mayweather, Jr. during their lopsided fight last May, which Mayweather eventually won by a unanimous decision, Ariza has been convinced that Pacquiao will easily dispose Mosley if ever they meet together on top of the ring.
“That guy is a quitter. He quit against Mayweather in three rounds.”
Mosley was at ringside when Pacquiao brutally demolished Antonio Margarito in 12 rounds last November 14 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas where he won his record eighth title in as many divisions.
“What do you think [Mosley is] gonna do when Manny starts to let loose his hands five or 15 seconds after the bell rings?” Ariza asked. “[I like Marquez] because he’s got balls. He’s got heart and he’s stupid enough to think he can beat Manny. So that’s a great fight.”
Ariza isn’t convinced at all with what Mosley can bring to the table against Pacquiao, despite a brilliant boxing career that had him earn belts from one division to another and triumph over big name fighters which cemented his legacy as one of boxing’s finest
But against Pacquiao, Ariza sees nothing but a brutal rout.
“I don’t expect anything less [than a Margarito-like blowout],” Ariza reveals in a separate interview with Reeno.
“If you have problems with a guy who throws 20 punches per round (Mayweather), what are you going to do with a guy who throws 120 punches per round? It’s really academic,” Ariza asserts.
Source: mb.com.ph
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