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IF ever
Juan Manuel Marquez beats Manny Pacquiao, it would have
to be an emphatic victory for the Mexican.
This is
the assessment of Pacquiao’s former business manager Rod
Nazario in an exclusive interview with the
BusinessMirror Thursday afternoon.
According to Nazario, Marquez, apart from being in
tiptop shape, needs to administer Pacquiao a consistent
and laborious beating for the Mexican to end up the
victor.
“Kung
matalo si Manny, sigurado bugbog. For you to
beat Manny kailangan talagang bugbugin mo,” said
Nazario at his Wild Card Gym in Sucat, Parañaque.
Nazario
said Pacquiao is one of the sturdiest fighters he has
ever seen and one would need more than courage and
fighting skills to beat the Filipino boxing hero.
Despite
this, Nazario believes Marquez has the technical skills
to do well against Pacquiao.
“He may
be 34 already, pero hindi naman bugbog si
Marquez. Hindi din naman bumata si Manny since
naglaban sila nu’ng una,” said Nazario. “Ang
worry ko lang is ’yung mga pagpupuyat ni Manny.
Kung tayo nga pag napupuyat ang hirap sa atin ang
gumising.”
Marquez
will defend his World Boxing Council (WBC)
super-featherweight belt against Pacquiao on March 15 at
the
Mandalay
Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada.
The bout
is a rematch of their epic May 2004 encounter where
Marquez survived three first-round knockdowns and
settled for a 12-round split draw.
Nazario
also told the BusinessMirror he has been constantly
telling Pacquiao to avoid Marquez while the Mexican is
still at his peak.
“Kaya
naman ni Manny na kumita ng malaking premyo kung
iba ang kakalabanin niya,” said Nazario. “Hangga’t
maari, sa huli na niya siguro kalabanin si Marquez.”
But
Nazario was quick to add that if Pacquiao will prepare
the way he did for his first fight with Marco Antonio
Barrera, Marquez will eventually capitulate.
“Gusto
ko ’yung kondisyon ni Manny nu’ng nakalaban niya
si Barrera. Kung ganun ang kundisyon niya, tingin
ko hindi lalampas ng six rounds si Marquez,”
added Nazario.
Pacquiao
started training at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood since
middle of January.
For an
ill-prepared Pacquiao, Nazario added it will still turn
out to be a good fight. “Fighter si Manny and
hindi basta-basta sumusuko sa laban,” he said.
Pacquiao
established his stardom by feasting on prized Mexican
fighters. He jump-started his rise when he pulverized
Barrera up to the 11th round in November 2003 and
cemented his claim to fame by winning two of his three
battles with Erik Morales. For his most recent fight
last October, Pacquiao repeated his win over Barrera via
an emphatic 12-round decision.
Marquez,
meanwhile, captured the WBC belt via a close decision
over Barrera last March 2007. He defended it
successfully versus American Olympian Rocky Juarez also
via decision November of last year. |
