Marquez may face Pacquiao again, says coach

MANILA, Philippines – Angel “Memo” Heredia, the strength and conditioning trainer of Juan Manuel Marquez, foresees the Mexican counterpuncher will cross paths with Manny Pacquiao again if the Filipino boxer could pull off the improbable upset against Floyd Mayweather Jr on May 2 (May 3 in Manila).

According to Heredia, Marquez is running out of options in Bob Arum’s Top Rank Promotions as most of the top welterweight fighters in the world are not handled by the 83-year-old promoter.

“If you really look at the options, they are limited. What other options does Marquez have,” he said in an interview with Boxing Scene.

Aside from Pacquiao, the 41-year-old pugilist has fought three other 147-pound competitors in his career, including Mayweather and Timothy Bradley Jr.

Marquez was last seen in action when he dominated Mike Alvarado in 12 rounds to win the vacant WBO International welterweight title in May 2014.

Due to the aforementioned situation, Heredia believes that a fifth encounter between Pacquiao and Marquez could happen in the future.

“If they fought today, a lot of people are going to say ‘I’m not going to buy the fifth fight’, but they are all going to watch it. It’s a tremendous fight and everyone would want to see it,” he stressed.

Both men have already faced each other on four occasions, with the first three bouts concluding in controversial fashion.

Even though Pacquiao dropped Marquez three times in the first round, the May 2004 meeting ended in a split-decision draw.

In their March 2008 rematch, Pacquiao scored a split decision to take away the WBC and lineal super featherweight belts from Marquez.

Marquez was given the opportunity to avenge his divisive loss to Pacquiao when the two bitter rivals met for the third time in November 2011, but the renowned Pinoy southpaw had his hand raised in victory again via majority decision.

The outcome was different in their fourth clash as Marquez turned the bout in his favor when he connected a short right with just a second to go in the sixth round, knocking his arch-nemesis out cold.

Heredia, who was already part of Marquez’s camp when he battled Pacquiao for the fourth time, disclosed that the Mexican pugilist is far from his curtain-call in the sport of boxing.

“He’s a young guy. He’s a 41-year-old man in a 35-year-old kid’s body,” he quipped. – Rappler.com