JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ may have finally induced Manny Pacquiao into considering a rematch.

Pressed to answer Marquez’s challenge, Pacquiao said he will ask his promoter to prepare an offer for the Mexican to consider and finally seal that third battle.

“It will happen, so there’s no need for him to worry. The thing is, I will ask my promoter to prepare an offer for Marquez and we’ll see if he will accept it or not,” said Pacquiao in a telephone interview with the BusinessMirror.

Pacquiao’s career is handled by two US outfits, with Top Rank Inc. as the lead promoter, in association with Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), as agreed upon by a court-ordered mediation process after Pacquiao signed two similar contracts with both entities.

Marquez, 34, is currently in the Philippines to personally goad Pacquiao for them to lock horns once more before the end of the year.

“He said he will be ready by October but I’m already priming up for a June fight. He’ll get his chance so my message for him is don’t be a cry baby,” said Pacquiao.

Marquez arrived in the country Sunday morning along with his Mexican promoter Jaime Quintana, who was invited by ABS-CBN to witness the “Invasion” boxing card headlined by world bantamweight champion Gerry Peñalosa.

“The people want it, so I ask Manny lets do what the people want. It’s not about the money. I’m here to show I’m serious and I’m ready to fight,” said Marquez in a separate interview.

Marquez is adamant about giving Pacquiao all the concessions he wants just to make the dream matchup a reality.

But Pacquiao, in the same interview, said he is almost certain his next bout will be against World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion David Diaz on June 28 in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao’s American trainer Freddie Roach told the BusinessMirror that Top Rank Inc. owner Bob Arum will be finalizing a draft of the contract for the Diaz bout this weekend and that Pacquiao’s Filipino lawyer Jeng Gacal will leave for the US sometime this week to personally scrutinize the deal.

Video-game fantasy

GBP COO David Itskowitch said there is not enough sense at the moment to think of a possible battle between Pacquiao and GBP’s top dog and legendary boxing superstar Oscar de la Hoya.

“Oscar would rather see Manny fight Juan Manuel. A de la Hoya-Pacquiao is a video-game fantasy at this time,” said Itskowitch.

Arum’s plans for this year is to pit Pacquiao against British superstar Ricky Hatton, assuming the Filipino three-division world champion succeeds in capturing the lightweight belt.

Should Pacquiao beat Hatton, then the Filipino can angle for that much talked-about face-off with de la Hoya, easily the biggest draw in all of boxing.

But GBP vice president Eric Gomez was quick to add that Pacquiao is not in Hatton’s radar because the Briton, who recently signed up with GBP, already has two fights booked for this year.

Hatton will defend his International Boxing Organization light-welterweight crown against Juan Lazcano on May 24 in Manchester.

“If Hatton beats Lazcano, we already have an agreement for Hatton to fight IBF champion Paulie Malignaggi,” said Gomez.

Harbour-RP settles for No. 2

JAKARTA—At one point, the Harbour Centre-Philippine team faced the specter of finishing the Southeast Asian Basketball Association Champions Cup below its expectations.

Complete Protectors of Hapee mix it up with skidding Whoppers

HAPEE Toothpaste wants to solidify its hold of the second spot as it collides with the reeling Burger King in the main game of the 2008 Philippine Basketball League Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup Tuesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) turns a new leaf Wednesday, and in celebration of its 33rd anniversary, the league is raffling off 33 special prizes during Wednesday’s scheduled double-header at the Araneta Coliseum.

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ may have finally induced Manny Pacquiao into considering a rematch.

Bacolod City—Twelve schools, led by defending women’s champion University of the Visayas (UV), will slug it out for the remaining slots to the 2008 Nestea Beach Volley National Finals as the third and final leg of the nationwide qualifying tournaments unfurls Tuesday at the University of St. La Salle.

THERE’S no “I” on the team and sure enough, newly installed Philippine nonplaying team captain Manny Tecson is instilling that concept further in the Philippines’ Davis Cup Asia/Oceania Group I relegation tie against Uzbekistan.

LINGAYEN—Pangasinan Gov. Amado Espino Jr. and Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Avelino Razon Jr. will make the ceremonial shots to open the Philippine Military Academy Masigasig Class ’72 Governor’s Cup Shootfest from May 2 to 4 at the PNP Firing Range here.

DON ENRICO, touted as one of the heavy favorites in the coming Triple Crown Championship Series, added another major victory in his career when he topped the Diamond Stakes I on Sunday at the San Lazaro Leisure Park.