By Rob Smith: Freddie Roach doesn’t see the need for Manny Pacquiao to take any tune-up fights, and he just wants him back in the ring and ready to take on Juan Manuel Marquez for a fifth fight. Roach is excited about the fight because he thinks it’ll break the 2.4 million pay per view totals from the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. mark back in 2007. Those totals are the highest PPV mark ever in the sport, and Roach thinks Pacquiao-Marquez 5 will bust that record.
What’s interesting is that the last two fights between Pacquiao and Marquez has drawn 1.4 million and 1.15 million respectively. This suggests a downward cycle in interest from boxing fans. But Roach sees fans all of a sudden doubling their interest, and I think that might be a little wishful thinking on Roach’s part.
Roach said to fighthubtv “I think this [Pacquiao-Marquez 5] will be the biggest seller ever in boxing.”
The statistics just don’t show that. If anything, the fifth fight between Manny and Juan Manuel may actually less instead of more fans. Marquez is not the huge star that De La Hoya or Mayweather was when they fought in 2007. Pacquiao is losing left and right now, and it’s a whole different ballgame than the De La Hoya-Mayweather fight.
Pacquiao is on the decline, Marquez isn’t a big star in the U.S, and the fight series has been played into the ground by Bob Arum. It’s like showing the same program to the viewers and expecting more interest. I don’t see it happening and the stats don’t show more fans wanting to see that fight. It shows less, but even if there are more fans that want to see it, I don’t think it’s going to be 2.4 million and above. I think a fifth fight between Marquez and Pacquiao would be lucky to get 1.5 million. That’s a good number for a couple of older guys nearing the ends of their careers.