‘IT’S MY CHANCE NOW’

David Diaz: No To Pacquiao-Marquez Trilogy

By ALEX P. VIDAL

Excited by the prospect of being tapped to be the next opponent of World Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight champion Manny Pacquiao, WBC lightweight king David Diaz passionately rejected the possibility of a third meeting between Pacquiao and former world champion Juan Manuel Marquez.

In a post fight press conference arranged by Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions inside the media center of the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Diaz said: “How can he (Pacquiao) just fight (with a face) like that?” referring to the cut suffered by the Filipino ring idol in his 12-round split decision win over Marquez.

“It’s my chance now; they have already fought twice,” said the Chicago-based Diaz (34-1-1, 17 KOs), who scored a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Ramon Montano (15-4-2, 1 KO) of Las Vegas in a non-title bout underneath the “Unfinished Business” main event.

Diaz’s mastery over Montano in the first pay-per-view bout, solidified his credentials for the Pacquiao joust.

Top Rank boss Bob Arum earlier said Pacquiao’s next fight will be against Diaz on June 28 for Diaz’s WBC belt. The fight was originally scheduled in Macau, Arum explained, but there is a big possibility it will be held again in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas.

“Of course, we must first consult the doctor (if Pacquaio can fight on June 28 as he had two nasty superficial cuts on the right eyelid that required 10 stitches),” said the 76-year-old Arum.

Meanwhile, Arum applauded the Pacquiao-Marquez rematch calling it “a remarkable fight.”

Golden Boy Promotions top executive Richard Schaffer, Marquez’s promoter, described the match as “hell of a fight and we can’t take it away from both guys.”

“But I believe strongly, very strongly that, that fight should have gone to the defending champion,” Schaffer said. “Very sadly that a week before the fight, a judged was changed.”

He was referring to Vic Flaherty who was replaced by Tom Miller of Mineral Ridge, Ohio.

Arum, however, justified the replacement saying it was approved by both the WBC and the Nevada State Athletic Commission. “We have to learn to live with close decisions,” Arum argued.

He said, “Freddie Roach, in fact, is to be commended for being an honest guy.”

Arum said Flaherty was a friend of Roach’s family “and it would have been more controversial if he was not replaced (because of the split decision).”

In that fight, Miller scored 114-113 for Pacquiao. Duane Ford also saw Pacquiao the winner, 115-112, while Jerry Roth gave the fight to Marquez, 115-112.

“A great fight that was given to Pacquiao wrongfully,” said Schaffer.

Pacquiao: My Job Is To Train Hard, Not To Choose My Foes

Egged to comment if he still wants a third match with conquered world champion Juan Manuel Marquez, World Boxing Council (WBC) superfeatherweight champion Manny Pacquiao meekly said: “My job is to train hard and not to choose my opponents.”

Pacquiao, 29, said he will leave the matter of choosing his next foe to his promoter—Top Rank headed by Bob Arum. “I will just train hard and fight,” declared Paquiao.

Without beating an eyelash, Arum said Pacquiao deserves a paycheck of at least US$6 to $8 million excluding his share in the pay-per-view of HBO.

But Pacquiao, who has been penciled to face WBC lightweight boss David Diaz on June 28 in Las Vegas, said he can not discount the possibility of a third showdown with Marquez, 34, who claimed he was robbed of victory in losing to Pacquiao by split decision last March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, Las Vegas.

The newly crowned world champion from General Santos City, Philippines, however, is more inclined to go up in the 135 lbs and shoot for the WBC baubles of Diaz rather than stay put in the superfeather-weight division.

“Manny actually did not find it hard to tip the scale in the 130 pounds because in his fight with Marquez, he easily tipped the scale at 129 pounds. This means that everything is not yet final in as far as the next fight of Manny Pacquiao is concerned,” said promoter and Pacquiao associate Rex “Wakee” Salud.

Pacquiao promised to train hard for at least three months before fighting again on June 28.

There is also a possibility that the June 28 scheduled world title fight against either Marquez or Diaz will be moved to July or August depending on the advice of his doctors who helped stitched the cut on his right eye he suffered in his shootout with Marquez for the Mexican’s WBC superfeatherweight belt last March 15.

“The doctors will see to it that Manny’s wound will be totally healed before he goes up the ring again,” said Games and Amusement Board (GAB) boxing chief Nasser Cruz who is himself a ring physician. /MP