Juan Manuel Marquez wants one more fight before retirement. He doesn’t want a gimme fight either but one that will challenge him and pay him well at the same time. His strength and conditioning coach Angel “Memo” Heredia had suggested a rematch between Marquez and Floyd Mayweather Jr. at 147 lbs.
If you recall, Mayweather dominated Marquez in their first go around in 2009. But there was a lot of cache to go with the victory. Marquez was making the move from lightweight to a 144 lb. catch weight with Mayweather. Mayweather disregarded the weight and instead paid Marquez $600,000 to come in at 146.
On fight night, Marquez body wasn’t filled like a welterweight. Instead, he looked like what he was, a blown up welterweight who was slow and sluggish. Under Heredia, Marquez has defined his welterweight body. He has scored victories over Mike Alvarado and the scintillating one punch knockout of Manny Pacquiao. In that fight he had also dropped Pacquiao with a big right hand.
So maybe it could be a different fight? It could also be a major event on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
But Marquez told BoxingScene.com that to fight Mayweather in Las Vegas, the conditions have to e very acceptable.
“If that fight is proposed and the conditions are acceptable, then of course [I would do it]. But we all know how things are done when fighting Mayweather in Las Vegas. In that city the officials protect him, let him do everything. Fighting him there is a burden,” Marquez told BoxingScene.com.
Marquez has been plagued by a knee injury that has kept him out of the ring for more than a year. That knee injury could lead him into retirement but if not, Marquez feels the only way to beat Mayweather is by knockout.
“Look, do you know how Mayweather can be beaten? Only by knockout, and how can you knock out an opponent who does not want to fight, who doesn’t throw punches, and hits you with a jab and you may have won the round but they still give it to him.”
