Marquez eyed as
Manny’s next foe

SOLID HIT: Manny Pacquiao of the Philippines takes a left hand from Mexican Erik Morales in the ninth round of their superfeatherweight fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Morales won the 12-round fight by unanimous decision. (Photo by Chris Cozzone)

LAS VEGAS — A rematch is in the works for Manny Pacquiao. And it could be Pacquiao against Juan Manuel Marquez, not Erik Morales sometime this year, a Top Rank executive told the Manila Bulletin early Sunday morning at the lobby of the MGM Grand.

“You know what? That’s (Pacquiao-Marquez II) more likely to happen than Pacquiao-Morales II,” said the Top Rank man even as promoter Bob Arum hinted that Morales and Pacquiao can do it one more time.

Marquez is best remembered for coming off three trips to the floor in the first round to hold Pacquiao to a bloody draw last year. He is widely credited for exposing a chink in the armor of the General Santos bomber.

While it is true that Pacquiao and Morales were able to live up to the hype, a return meeting between Pacquiao and Marquez would still draw attention.

Against Morales on Saturday night, Pacquiao, fighting for the first time as a superfeatherweight, dropped a unanimous decision before a near-capacity crowd of 14,623 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Pacquiao bared that he would likely remain as a 130-pounder because he feels very comfortable at that level.

“Okay na sa akin dito sa 130. Kumportable ako at hindi ako nagre-reduce,” said Pacquiao, who started out as lightflyweight before he became a flyweight, superbantam, feather and. now, a superfeather.

But with the lure of an attractive matchup with Marquez at featherweight looming on the horizon, Pacquiao might change his mind and go down to the featherweight ranks of 126 lbs.

Rod Nazario, Pacquiao’s business manager, said Sunday afternoon that he is amenable to a rematch between Pacquiao and Marquez.

The latter remains under contract with Top Rank although his chief handler, Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, had criticized the promotional outfit for its failure to give the World Boxing Association (WBA) and International Boxing Federation (IBF) champion a good deal when it offered him to fight the Filipino in a rematch.

Meanwhile, Pacquiao said he could have put on a much better show had it not been for the nasty gash that was opened on his right eyebrow.

“Nag-pacing ako at aatake na ako sana sa middle rounds pero iyon na nga biglang nagka-untugan,” said Pacquiao, stressing that he had never been cut so bad in his career.

“Talagang grabe ang dugo dahil kapag pinapahiran ko ay parang walang nangyayari dahil tuloy-tuloy ang agos,” said Pacquiao, who is tentatively scheduled to arrive in Manila on Easter Sunday joined by wife Jinkee and Filipino cornermen Buboy Fernandez and Lito Mondejar.

“Nasira na ang diskarte ko kasi hindi na ako makakita.”

He tried his best to land one shot but Morales simply outmaneuvered the one-eyed puncher who, despite breaking the hearts of millions back home, remained as loved as before.