Manny Pacquiao, one of boxing's legends and former claimant to the title of boxing's pound-for-pound best has lost two straight bouts, but is hoping to knock out Brandon Rios in November and re-establish his stardom.
As the promotion for Pacquiao vs. Rios has built, the boxer and his trainer Freddie Roach have artfully taken jabs at both Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez in the hopes of drumming up demand for future clashes. Neither opponent seems to be taking the bait, however.
Mayweather is set to square off with Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on September 14th, while Marquez is preparing to fight undefeated Timothy "Desert Storm" Bradley on October 12th. If Marquez is able to hand Bradley the first loss of his professional career, he has indicated zero interest in giving his nemesis Pacquiao a chance to avenge his knockout loss.
"Pacquiao has been saying many things and immediately you can see that he wants me to take the bait, but he won't achieve that. What he wants is a fifth fight, but it's not going to happen. I wish to leave this sport with the memory of knocking Pacquiao out after they stole three decisions from me. And [in the fourth fight] I showed who was the better fighter," Marquez said. "I'd rather stay with the memory of that lucky punch that I connected on Pacquiao. It's about pride and honor, not money."
That comment is a dig at Pacquiao saying that Marquez's sixth-round knockout in their last fight was "lucky," in an effort to dismiss his previous two losses. As for Mayweather, he has been strong in his assertions that the Pacquiao ship has sailed.
"He's not going to get a chance to fight me," Mayweather said to MLive.com. "Now, I'm feeling like I wouldn't even give him a chance. He had a chance, he blew it, so that's what it is."
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