15.12.06 – Ricardo Lois, BoxingConfidential.com : Los Angeles – Filipino journalist Ronnie Nathanielsz reports in the Manila Standard Today that Juan Manuel Marquez might be Marco Antonio Barrera’s opponent for March 11th, 2006.
Quoting Nathanieslz, “…Viva Sports/Standard Today was informed that Golden Boy, who signed a seven-fight contract with Pacquiao in mid-September, is considering Marquez as an opponent for Barrera.”
If Golden Boy Promotions pushes for Marquez as an opponent, ignoring a W.B.C. mandated purse bid for a fight between Barrera and Pacquiao, Barrera will lose an opportunity at a rematch he has been chasing for over three years.
Since his one-sided defeat at the hands of the Filipino Sensation, Barrera has had one goal in mind: redemption. Defeat was a bitter pill for Marco to swallow.
The taste has remained in his mouth for three long years.
Oscar De La Hoya’s ego might get in the way of Barrera’s revenge. The war between Arum and De La Hoya has been well documented and reached new heights with the feud over the promotional rights of Manny Pacquiao. Instead of giving Arum the pleasure of promoting Pacquiao against his own star, De La Hoya throws a new wrinkle into this on-going soap opera.
Enter Juan Manuel Marquez.
Marquez, conveniently promoted by De La Hoya, has been looking for a marquee, money making fight since he classic draw with Manny Pacquiao in May, 2005. Interestingly enough Marquez left Bob Arum as a promoter recently, stating that Top Rank failed to develop him into a main event fighter and pay him the purses he deserved. A bout against Barrera would be welcome by Marquez and his fickle manager Ignacio Britain.
One has to wonder if Marco Antonio Barrera, having campaigned for an opportunity against Pacquiao, will quietly step aside and allow De La Hoya’s personal feuds dictate his legacy.
De La Hoya is sending a dangerously unpopular message to his current and future fighters: If Pacquiao is with Arum, you will not get a chance to fight the most exciting fighter in boxing. How will that sit with a young star, co-promoted by De La Hoya, like Joan Guzman?
De La Hoya may seem like the source of the problem, but Manny Pacquiao is the man to blame. If the Pacman could keep from signing contracts at random, this situation would not being unfolding before our eyes. Where would a Barrera v. Marquez bout leave Manny Pacquiao?
Enter Edwin Valero.
The best fights for Pacquiao all involve De La Hoya controlled fighters: Barrera, Marquez, and Guzman. The battles between Top Rank and Golden Boy might force a bout between Edwin Valero and Manny; a fight often been discussed several Filipino news sources. If a fight with Valero does not materialize, how about a move to the lightweight division, you say?
Enter Don King.
Sources close to King have already informed Boxing Confidential that he would make a major push to win a bid for a match between Barrera and Pacquiao. If Manny were forced to move up in weight to make a high profile fight, Juan Diaz would be the logical opponent, a boxer promoted by Don King.
The soap opera between Manny, Arum, De La Hoya, and Barrera is reaching new heights, even for boxing. We can only sit back and watch it unfold, wondering…what will happen next?
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