Juan Manuel Marquez targets winner of Manny Pacquiao-Timothy Bradley rematch

1 February 2014 at 11:28 pm

Manny Pacquiao takes a punch from Juan Manuel Marquez during their welterweight fight on December 8, 2012 in Las Vegas

Juan Manuel Marquez celebrates after defeating Manny Pacquiao by a sixth round knockout in their welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on December 8, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada

WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (R) taunts Juan Manuel Marquez during their bout at the Thomas & Mack Center on October 12, 2013 in Las Vegas, Nevada

�March 30, 2013, Las Vegas,Nevada --- (L-R) Juan Manuel Marquez, Hall of Fame Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Timothy "The Desert Storm" Bradley Jr. pose during the Brandon "Bam Bam" Rios vs Mike Alvarado fight Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. --- Photo Credit : Chris Farina - Top Rank (no other credit allowed) copyright 2013

Juan Manuel Marquez (55-7-1, 40 knockouts) has long expressed that he isn’t giddy about the idea of another fight against his nemesis Manny Pacquiao. After beating him via knockout in the sixth round of their fourth encounter, Marquez feels that another fight against Pacquiao would only tarnish that ineffable ending.

However, there’s one thing Marquez currently covets and if Pacquiao gets this, the two might just fight again.
In a recent interview, Marquez said that he wants to fight for a welterweight title. This will give him the chance to retire as a five-division world champion: a rarity in boxing. His plan now is to wait for the winner of the rematch between Pacquiao (55-5-2, 38 KOs) and reigning WBO welterweight champion Timothy Bradley (31-0-0, 12 KOs); a fighter Marquez recently lost to.

ALSO READ: Pacquiao set to earn $6 million less in Bradley rematch

“With Bradley, I don’t see that as a loss,” Marquez said. “It was a close fight and I thought I did enough to win. If I decided to retire right now, I would be satisfied. I always said I wanted to fight Pacquiao and beat him and I did. I do want that [welterweight] title, but I’m not obsessed with it, though it would be a great achievement.”

Although reigning WBO light welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov has been calling out Marquez, the Mexican has no plans of giving the Russian a fight.

“Provodnikov is a great fighter; he demonstrated that with Bradley, and he’s very strong, I think the challenge is there, and I love challenges and will fight anyone, as I have not shunned anyone,” Marquez explained. “But right now, at this stage of my career I want something that will leave a legacy. I want that fifth championship. If that does not present itself, then I’m closer to retirement."

“Fighting with Provodnikov would not gain me anything. I would be fighting for a title that was already mine before and if I beat him, it won’t mean much. I want a transcending fight, something that will be historic,” added Marquez.

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Marquez first won a world title in 2003 when he defeated Manuel Medina for the IBF featherweight title. After three years, he moved to the super featherweight division and defeated Marco Antonio Barrera for the WBC belt. It took Marquez another three years before he got the WBA lightweight title by knocking out Juan Diaz.

He also won an interim version of the WBO light welterweight title with a decision victory over Serhiy Fedchenko.

Currently, other champions in the welterweight division are Floyd Mayweather for the WBC, Marcos Maidana for the WBA, and Shawn Porter for the IBF. Mayweather will most likely fight Amir Khan next while Maidana is scheduled for a return bout with Adrien Broner which leaves out Porter as the only option as Bradley is tied up with Pacquiao.

However, Marquez won’t earn much if he fights a largely unknown champion in Porter. If Marquez wants one last shot at the welterweight title and one last big payday before he calls it a career, his only option is to wait for the winners of Bradley-Pacquiao or Maidana-Broner.