DETHRONED super-featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez on Tuesday clarified he came to Manila not to beg for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, but to demand for one.

In an interview with the BusinessMirror at the coffee shop of Edsa Shangri-La where he stayed, the Mexican fighter said: “I’m here because I’m fighting for what the people want. They say Pacquiao is the People’s Champion and I respect that. That is why I am here to show the people I am willing to give them what they want.”

Marquez’s visit, though it seemed welcomed by Filipinos who got to see him personally, has been also bombarded by nasty remarks from rabid Pacquiao fans who said the Mexican appeared desperate in getting that third fight.

Marquez lost his World Boxing Council (WBC) belt via a razor-thin split verdict to Pacquiao last month in Las Vegas, Nevada. In May 2004, Marquez settled for a split draw against Pacquiao.

In a recent interview, Pacquiao said Marquez made him wait four years to get last month’s return bout. “He has to wait, but there’s no need for him to worry because it won’t take me that long. I know we will fight again,” said Pacquiao.

But on Tuesday, Marquez clarified why it took that long to get the rematch done.  “My promoter was the reason why it took us four years to make the rematch. We learned HBO gave $3 million for the rematch but the promoter was offering me only $700,000,” said Marquez, who was then promoted by Pacquiao’s current promoter Bob Arum, owner of Top Rank Inc.

Marquez admitted he got $650,000 for the 2004 bout with Pacquiao, but was later on offered $750,000 for the rematch.

“Manny was offered more than a million for the rematch, but we asked Bob how come we are only getting $100,000 more than the first fight while Manny will get more than a million? He just told us there was no money left,” said Marquez’s Mexican promoter Jaime Quintana.

This time, however, Marquez stressed he simply wants another fight with Pacquiao.

“I want Manny, not money. He is fighting for his people, I am fighting for my people. Let’s not make this an issue about money. Let’s prove who is the better fighter,” said Marquez.

After their rematch, Golden Boy Promotions (GBP) executive Richard Schaeffer offered Pacquiao $6 million for the third encounter but Arum later on said Pacquiao deserves $8 million to 10 million.

On Tuesday, Marquez was mobbed by autograph seekers when he dropped by SM Megamall to buy some items.

“He wanted to take a walk and go to the mall without bodyguards because he feels comfortable,” said ABS-CBN’s Lee Japa who is in-charge of the Mexican’s itinerary. Marquez was scheduled to leave last night for Los Angeles.

Marquez: I’m here to demand, not beg

DETHRONED super-featherweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez on Tuesday clarified he came to Manila not to beg for a rematch with Manny Pacquiao, but to demand for one.

Louie still believes he can get hands on $0.13M

LUISITO ESPINOSA is not losing hope that he would still get his purse for a world title fight against Arentina’s Carlos Rios staged at the South Cotabato Stadium in Koronadal City more than 10 years ago.

ADAMSON University kept its composure, then leaned on guest player Neriza Bautista in the third set as the Lady Falcons hacked out a shocking  25-22, 25-21, 25-23 victory over fancied San Sebastian College (SSC) to seize the solo lead in the Shakey’s V-League Season 5 at The Arena in San Juan Tuesday.

Patrick Gregorio, the first to be named executive director of the powerful Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP), is contemplating stepping down from his post, a source said.

THE conference is barely two weeks old and yet the Coca-Cola Tigers are already making quite a noise.

HAPEE Toothpaste needed a strong first half in repulsing Burger King, 100-85, for its third-straight win Tuesday night in the 2008 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

BACOLOD CITY—Defending national women’s champion University of Visayas (UV) easily disposed of University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) to open its back-to-back bid on a high note and lead the opening-day winners of the 12th Nestea Beach Volley Visayas Eliminations Tuesday at the University of St. La Salle sand courts.

Mercedes-Benz, the worldwide leader in luxury vehicles, is taking an aggressive stance in promoting golf in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) region for 2008.  The German auto giant had recently signed a three-year deal as the Asean Golf Tour’s title sponsor.

THERE’S the saying “a sound mind, a sound body.”

No matter what is one’s religious persuasion, there’s no doubt that positive thinking, or faith for some, does wonders. Not because things would magically turn in one’s favor, but because positive thinking is a matter of changing one’s perspective.