Third Marquez Fight Could Be Pacman's Biggest Paycheck Ever

Bob Arum is right to caution fight fans not to rush with ideas of Manny Pacquiao’s future fights while the Pacman is in the middle of his preparations for the “Dream Match” against Oscar dela Hoya on December 6. There are boxing aficionados who just could not hide the excitement being generated by the Dream Match that some are now suggesting the idea of former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr’s coming out of retirement to face the Pacman next. In 2007, Mayweather outpointed dela Hoya in their “The World Awaits” encounter. The boxing world did not only wait, it bought tickets and pay-per-view access. The fight set all-time pay-per-view records.

The Dream Match also promises to be a hit at the box office. Live gate passes disappeared within hours after they went on sale. If the Dream Match cannot equal the money value of gate receipts generated by The World Awaits, it is only because the latter sold tickets at higher prices.
On the matter of Pacman’s future fights, one may recall that months ago renowned trainer Freddie Roach suggested a Ricky Hatton fight to cap Manny’s boxing career. “After de la Hoya and Hatton, Manny can retire as the greatest fighter of all time,” Roach was quoted as saying. Of course, he said that in the context of Manny’s beating both Oscar and Hatton.

The debate on who’s the world’s greatest boxer of all time is one that is likely to continue provoking fight fans until the end of time. There are those who say it’s Sugar Ray Robinson. Others insist it has got to be Gene Tunney, Archie Moore or Joe Louis. Muhammad Ali says it is none other than him. In the recent ESPN E:60 show that featured Manny Pacquiao, HBO Larry Merchant said that Pacman could be one of the world’s greatest if he does the impossible and goes on to beat Oscar. In an earlier article I posted here, I also said Manny looms as the world’s greatest prize fighter ever. Henry Armstrong and Roberto Duran did leap to weight divisions much higher from where they started as a professional boxer, but I feel that Manny’s rate of success viewed in the context of the over-all quality of ring opposition simply stands out.

On the matter of who Manny should fight next, the public senses the color of money wherever propositions go. But that’s what professional boxing is all about. If the Dream Match can match the money-making machine that was The World Awaits, it would not be hard to figure out how a Pacman-Mayweather fight can generate the same goldmine. A Ricky Hatton fight attracts for the same reason. The guy draws to the fight ring thousands of paying British fans.

I offer another view. Again not to distract Manny from his preparations for the dela Hoya fight, but a third fight against Juan Manuel Marquez could yet become his biggest payday ever. Of course such a prognosis would also depend on how he fares against Oscar on December 6 in Las Vegas.

The key is for Pacman to promote that Marquez 3 fight (as he himself pointed out in earlier statements). Pay Marquez what’s his due and collect his share of live gate and pay-per-view proceeds. This fight will sell to those who bought tickets and pay-per-view access for The Dream Awaits, the Pacman-Marquez fights, the Pacman-Barrera fights, the Pacman-Morales fights and now, for The Dream Match. In short, what a Pacman-Marquez 3 offers in terms of sales and profits can boggle the businessman’s mind.