GENERAL SANTOS CITY (MindaNews/13 Sept) – Manny Pacquiao will leave for the United States on Friday (September 14) to sign a fourth fight with Juan Manuel Marquez in December, according to longtime lawyer Franklin Gacal Jr.
“It is Marquez for his December 8 fight,” Gacal said in a phone interview.
Gacal will accompany Pacquiao in the trip.
Details of the fight are to be announced later with Pacquiao to immediately start the fight’s promotional tour while in the US.
It is believed that among the contentious issues preventing Pacquiao from agreeing to another fight deal with Marquez is his guaranteed purse.
Gacal however declined to give any comment on how much Pacquiao will get in this fight.
“It is still subject to discussion,” Gacal said.
Pacquiao and Marquez fought three memorable battles – all ending up in close and hairline decisions.
Pacquiao however enjoys the edge over Marquez having won two of their previous fights via split decisions. Their first fight ended in a controversial draw in May 2004 after Marquez survived three knockdowns in the first round to rally and retain his World Boxing Council featherweight crown.
The Filipino boxing icon however rose to become the number one pound-for-pound boxing king and replaced Oscar de la Hoya as a king of pay per view fights in 2009.
Pacquiao is coming off a controversial loss against American Timothy Bradley where he lost his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight crown.
Many believed Pacquiao was robbed of the decision. The Nevada State Athletic Commission later asked the judges who scored the fight to explain their scores. No sanctions were however imposed against the judges.
Pacquiao is widely believed to be contemplating retirement as he seemed to be running out of marquee opponents with the exception of the flamboyant Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mayweather however keeps on insisting on his terms before taking a much anticipated fight with Pacquiao.
A Mayweather-Pacquiao fight is being touted as a possible fight of the century affair between two of the biggest box office attractions in boxing.
The two are also up in the mythical Top 2 pound-for-pound boxing king list of many boxing scribes.
Gacal said Pacquiao will still return to the Philippines after signing the fight deal with Marquez before going into serious training.
Coach Freddie Roach has already expressed his desire to have Pacquiao in the US in the duration of his training.
Roach said Marquez has always given Pacquiao a hard fight.
The 53-year-old American top boxing coach said Pacquiao must not have any of the distractions that attended his previous fights as a loss to Marquez could spoil his box office appeal. (Edwin Espejo / MindaNews contributor)
