After handing a devastating 6th round knockout to former pound-for-pound king and rival Manny Pacquiao during their fourth meeting, Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez says no to a suggested and highly anticipated fifth bout with Manny Pacquiao.
According to Inquirer, that even with earlier statements by his promoter, Fernando Beltran, that their camp would accept and return the favor by agreeing to a fifth fight, Marquez suddenly changed his mind.
“I think, for me, there is no point [in a fifth fight],” Marquez says during the interview with Boxingscene.com. “We already achieved the desired result. Then why do it?
“I also asked several people, several friends that I have around me and they told me not to do it, that there is no point in a fifth fight. I said before the fourth fight that no matter how this fight ends, there cannot be a fifth.” Marquez continued.
Beltran, however, is still in high hopes and also had earlier agreed with Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum, to stage Pacquiao-Marquez 5 sometime in September, with the venue possibly in Mexico, offered a different view and suggested that boxing fans, especially Mexican boxing aficionados should have a hand in Marquez’s decision.
“If the people want it, we will give the opportunity (for a rematch) to Manny,” Beltran said.
But he also stated that their priority is “not to fight Pacquiao.”
