Juan-two-three and he’s out
Whoever thought of the “brilliant” idea to bring Juan Manuel Marquez over to
You can only speculate why Marquez made his first visit to the country, conveniently coinciding with a big boxing card, beamed to the
Here are seven possible reasons.
First, to prick Manny Pacquiao’s pride and goad him into accepting an immediate rematch of their rematch. Marquez knew Pacquiao would be at the Big Dome to cheer for buddy Gerry Peñalosa so he showed up, too. He flew in the morning of the show and sat in the same ringside section as his tormentor.
Of course, Pacquiao and Marquez got to see each other. They shook hands as cameramen clicked away. He got what he wanted – media mileage at Pacquiao’s expense. How Marquez has changed. Right after their fight in
Second, to douse cold water on Pacquiao’s win by split decision. Marquez appeared in a press conference and was even interviewed in a celebrity talk show on TV. He spoke on radio. He did the media rounds. His message was the same whenever he was on the air – he deserves an immediate rematch because he was robbed of a victory.
But who is Marquez to demand anything? He holds no title. His marketability is questionable.
After Marquez and Pacquiao fought to a draw (which should’ve been a win for Pacquiao if not for a judge’s error) in 2004, plans for an immediate rematch were scuttled – because the Mexican wouldn’t sign the dotted line. Marquez refused a $750,000 purse to face Pacquiao and settled for a $31,250 paycheck only to lose to Chris John in
Now, Marquez is barking up Pacquiao’s tree. How Marquez has changed.
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Third, to discredit Pacquiao. Marquez repeatedly said Pacquiao isn’t agreeing to an immediate rematch because he’s scared. Pacquiao said no such thing when Marquez refused a rematch two years ago.
Marquez’ attempt to disparage Pacquiao before Filipino fans was an abuse of confidence. He was flown in by Filipinos and went on a media campaign to lambaste a national hero. It was an insult to his hosts or did the hosts put Marquez up to it for some hideous reason?
Fourth, to gain popularity as a celebrity endorser. The scuttlebutt was a beer company offered big money for Marquez to endorse the brand that competes with what Pacquiao and Erik Morales pitch for. The theory was Marquez’ appearance in a competing beer ad would be part of a total campaign to put Pacquiao on the defensive.
If the idea was to make a dent on Pacquiao’s popularity, it certainly backfired. Pacquiao emerged from this conspiracy unscathed and looking more like a gracious victor. Marquez came out looking like a whining crybaby. There is talk that plans for Marquez to appear in a commercial are now in suspended animation.
By the way, Marquez also whined when he lost to John despite the three judges scoring 116-112, 116-110 and 117-111. He blamed referee Guillermo Perez Pineda for his loss and insisted he was cheated. His manager Jaime Quintana sang the same tune even suggesting the only way Marquez could’ve won was killing John. So Marquez and Quintana are no strangers to the crying game.
Fifth, to find out what makes Filipino fans tick because other fans pale in comparison. Filipino fans aren’t just passionate in supporting their heroes but they’re also extremely loyal.
Marquez is probably wondering why Pacquiao is loved by Filipino fans and he never enjoyed the same adulation from Mexican fans. Maybe, he came over to see for himself why Pacquiao is such a phenomenon because the Mexican can’t seem to break out as a stand-alone marquee fighter.
Sixth, to boost his marketability in the global market. Marquez is not a box office attraction and it probably drives him crazy to admit he can’t sell a quarter of the tickets Pacquiao sells.
Maybe, Marquez figured if he could establish some kind of a fan base in the
Finally, to save his sagging career. Without Pacquiao, Marquez is nothing. He turns 35 in August and isn’t getting any younger. Marquez has been a pro since 1993 and 15 years in the business is a long time. He’s seen action in 53 fights, counting four losses.
Marquez realizes he needs Pacquiao to earn another seven-figure paycheck. There’s nobody out there who can give Marquez a big payday. But instead of humbling himself to ask for a rematch, Marquez is demanding for Pacquiao to give in to what he wants. Obviously, he’s all mixed up. After the bashing he got from Pacquiao and those four knockdowns in their two fights, Marquez has apparently lost his senses. He should be reminded that he needs Pacquiao more than Pacquiao needs him.
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To recap, Marquez was not in his right place in coming over to abuse Filipino hospitality and making demands on Pacquiao whom he virtually called a coward. He revealed himself not only as a poor sport but as a desperate fighter clutching on straws to salvage a career on the downtrend.
Marquez tried to do a Juan-Two-Three and wound up getting struck out. He flew in to promote his selfish motives at the country’s expense. He tried to cast doubt on the integrity of the sport by questioning the credibility of the two reputable judges who saw Pacquiao the winner in their rematch.
He made outlandish claims that everyone the world over thought he won and he deliberately tried to put down Pacquiao.
Marquez is a disgrace to the profession. He’s not just a sore loser but also a scheming conspirator with bad intentions. Why should Pacquiao give someone like him a break?
Pacquiao has nothing to gain in fighting Marquez again. He should just move on and leave behind the memory of a crass Mexican who’ll never measure up to the classy standards of a Morales or even a Marco Antonio Barrera.
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