Juan Manuel Marquez the leading candidate to face Pacquiao after Mosley

Top Rank's CEO Bob Arum advised BoxingScene.com that WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (52-5-1, 38KOs) would be a leading candidate to fight Manny Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38KOs) in the fall for the WBO welterweight title. Pacquiao is scheduled to defend his belt against Shane Mosley on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

If Pacquiao beats Mosley, Arum's first goal is to finalize a deal with Floyd Mayweather Jr. If Mayweather is unavailable, or a deal can't be reached, then Arum would focus on a Marquez trilogy. Pacquiao and Marquez fought to a controversial twelve round draw in 2004, and then Pacquiao won a controversial twelve round split decision over Marquez in their 2008 rematch.

The recent headlines certainly help Marquez's cause. According to reports in Mexico, and elsewhere, Marquez is looking to become a free agent once his contract expires with Top Rank's promotional rival, Golden Boy Promotions. The contract reportedly expires at the end of this month.

It's not clear if Mosley, who recently left Golden Boy to secure a Pacquiao deal, inspired the move by Marquez. The ongoing cold war between Golden Boy and Top Rank has certainly prevented their respective boxers from facing each other since mid-2009.

"Marquez would be one of the leading candidates, if not the leading candidate, to fight Pacquiao if he beats Mosley," Arum said to BoxingScene.com.

http://www.boxingscene.com/arum-marquez-leading-candidate-pacquiao-next--35928

The Marquez trilogy makes the most sense for Pacquiao after Mosley, his 2 fights with JMM, have been Pacquiao's most competitive ones. At this stage in both pugs careers, I believe Manny would totally destroy Marquez, but it would be a fun to see "mega" fight, that makes a ton of money.

The question is, what weight would this fight be fought at, my guess is a catchweight, something like 142-144 lbs.

P.S. I don't believe Duckweather Jr. is even on radar for a fight with Pacquiao in 2011.

Ring wrote:The Marquez trilogy makes the most sense for Pacquiao after Mosley, his 2 fights with JMM, have been Pacquiao's most competitive ones. At this stage in both pugs careers, I believe Manny would totally destroy Marquez, but it would be a fun to see "mega" fight, that makes a ton of money.

The question is, what weight would this fight be fought at, my guess is a catchweight, something like 142-144 lbs.

P.S. I don't believe Duckweather Jr. is even on radar for a fight with Pacquiao in 2011.

If it happens, Marquez needs to be smart about the weight!!!

If I am Marquez I pretend this is a lightweight fight. Come in at around the same weight for the weigh in that he does for his fights at 135. In those fights he rehydrates to 143 or 144 for fight night.

Pac will weigh 147 to 148 on fight night. Give up 3-4 pounds. Marquez weighed around 147 or 148 on fightnight and he looked slow (weigh in 142 against Floyd).

Just be a lightweight and weigh about 143 or 144 on fight night and face Pac who really is a junior welter (alot of junior welters weigh more than the 147-148 that Pac would weigh on fight night).

its going to be 147, Marquez just needs to train like he's still at 135

gomez1012 wrote:its going to be 147, Marquez just needs to train like he's still at 135

Neither fighter will have an advantage at 147. In each of their last two fights Pac came in on fight night against Margo at 148 and JMM came in against Kat at 146 (Right?). So the weight should be a non-issue.

Soonermark890 wrote:

gomez1012 wrote:its going to be 147, Marquez just needs to train like he's still at 135

Neither fighter will have an advantage at 147. In each of their last two fights Pac came in on fight night against Margo at 148 and JMM came in against Kat at 146 (Right?). So the weight should be a non-issue.

+1

No point in BS'ing over the weight, 147

gomez1012 wrote:

Soonermark890 wrote:

gomez1012 wrote:its going to be 147, Marquez just needs to train like he's still at 135

Neither fighter will have an advantage at 147. In each of their last two fights Pac came in on fight night against Margo at 148 and JMM came in against Kat at 146 (Right?). So the weight should be a non-issue.

+1

No point in BS'ing over the weight, 147

It makes sense that the fight would be at the welterweight limit, or for Pac's WBO welterweight title, the only stipulation would be that the 2 fighters don't weight above 147 lbs, correct? So say that Marquez weighs in at 142-143 lbs and Pacquaio weighs in at 144-145 lbs, we could still have a WBO WW title fight. (at least that's what I think) So no, in that case, weight wouldn't be an issue.

Ring wrote:

gomez1012 wrote:

Soonermark890 wrote:

gomez1012 wrote:its going to be 147, Marquez just needs to train like he's still at 135

Neither fighter will have an advantage at 147. In each of their last two fights Pac came in on fight night against Margo at 148 and JMM came in against Kat at 146 (Right?). So the weight should be a non-issue.

+1

No point in BS'ing over the weight, 147

It makes sense that the fight would be at the welterweight limit, or for Pac's WBO welterweight title, the only stipulation would be that the 2 fighters don't weight above 147 lbs, correct? So say that Marquez comes in at 142-143 lbs and Pacquaio comes in at 144-145 lbs, we could still have a WBO WW title fight. (at least that's what I think)

Yes they can weigh UP TO 147 not past that.

I'd much rather they fight at 140....the belts can still be on the line.

Soonermark890 wrote:

Ring wrote:

gomez1012 wrote:

Soonermark890 wrote:

gomez1012 wrote:its going to be 147, Marquez just needs to train like he's still at 135

Neither fighter will have an advantage at 147. In each of their last two fights Pac came in on fight night against Margo at 148 and JMM came in against Kat at 146 (Right?). So the weight should be a non-issue.

+1

No point in BS'ing over the weight, 147

It makes sense that the fight would be at the welterweight limit, or for Pac's WBO welterweight title, the only stipulation would be that the 2 fighters don't weight above 147 lbs, correct? So say that Marquez comes in at 142-143 lbs and Pacquaio comes in at 144-145 lbs, we could still have a WBO WW title fight. (at least that's what I think)

Yes they can weigh UP TO 147 not past that.

fight will most likely be a welterweight fight so the limit at weigh in (about 30 hours before the fight) would be 147. But that means nothing to Pac. He weighs only about 146-148 on fight night (less than Bradley, Alexander, Kahn, Ortiz, Matthyse, in essence less than all the elite junior welters). Pac is a large lightweight/s below average sized junior welter. What he has done in fighting welters has been impressive. He has given up alot of weight on fight night against the guys he has fought over the last few years.

flapanther2001 wrote:I'd much rather they fight at 140....the belts can still be on the line.

You do realize Manny vacated the Jr Welterweight Ring title ?