Juan Manual Marquez and Manny Pacqiuao may battle for the fifth time later this year after Marquez beat Mike Alvarado on Saturday night.
Pacquiao beat Timothy Bradley earlier this year.
Marquez and the Filipino star fighter have already met four times. Pacquiao leads the series 2-1-1, but Marquez knocked him out at the end of the sixth round in their December 2012 bout. The slug was one of the more memorable knockouts in boxing history.
Marquez refused to make a definitive statement about battling Pacquiao again, telling reporter after his win over Alvarado:
“Finally, in that fourth [Pacquiao] fight, we obtained justice,” he said. “This fight is for all of the Mexicans that have supported me in that fourth fight and this fight was for them. [As for a fifth fight with Pacquiao], we'll relax. I don’t know at the moment but any decision we make will be good for me, good for my family and good for the Mexican fans.
“I’m not making a decision on Pacquiao right now. I felt great in the fight and I know I did a great job, but let me see how I feel in a couple of weeks. I am not making a decision on a Pacquiao fight right away. I’m gonna rest and think about it.”
Pacquiao promoter Bob Arum recently told Tha Voice that if the fight will take place, it will be outside of the United States.
“Juan Manuel to Macqu? I don’t see why not,” he told Tha Voice.
“Because (trainer) Nacho Beristain is saying if Marquez fights Manny, he doesn’t want the fight to be in the United States because of the high income tax. What else could he be thinking of other than Macau?”
However, the Philippine Inquirer says that Beristain may be thinking of Mexico, where Marquez would have the home advantage.
Marquez initially said he wouldn’t fight Pacquiao again after knocking him out in their fourth fight on December 12, 2012.
But he changed his mind after losing to Timothy Bradley on October 12, 2013.
Pacquiao’s career took an upward swing following his series of losses--including the one to Marquez--with his latest win coming over Bradley in April.
Arum said that whoever Pacquiao fights next, the fight won’t be in Las Vegas because he feels Pacquiao wasn’t treated well by MGM Grand.
