Marquez tries to move past Pacquiao
Juan Manuel Marquez desperately wanted another shot at Manny Pacquio but insists he isn't disappointed to be fighting Joel Casamayor tonight.
Marquez lost a controversial 12-round split decision to Pacquiao on March 15 after settling for a 12-round draw in their first meeting in 2004.
After Pacquiao agreed to move up to 147 pounds to fight Oscar De La Hoya on Dec. 6, Marquez decided to move up as well.
He will debut at 135 pounds tonight at the MGM Grand Garden against Casamayor, a crafty former world champion who holds the Ring Magazine belt. But Marquez continues to be badgered by questions about Pacquiao.
"I definitely wanted a third fight, but Manny Pacquiao knows he can't beat me," Marquez said. "I'm happy to fight Casamayor. He's the best at 135 pounds that there is.
"Fighting at 135, I'm going to prove to myself and to the fans that I can be good in a higher division. A victory over Casamayor will prove I'm the best at 135 pounds out there."
Marquez (48-4-1, 35 knockouts) said he tried to add strength while not compromising his speed in moving up from 130 pounds. He said he was happy with his training camp and doesn't think the extra 5 pounds will matter.
"Everything went fine," he said. "Obviously, I worked to keep my speed, and I did a little more weight work to gain extra strength."
Both fighters made the 135-pound limit at Friday's weigh-in.
Casamayor said this week that he expects Marquez, a minus-380 favorite, to try to run from him in the ring. But Marquez laughed that off and said he won't let words bother him.
"He talks crap all the time," Marquez said. "He knows me. He's watched tapes of me. I come to fight. He's just trying to play mind games."
Marquez said he has plenty of experience himself and will be ready for anything Casamayor (36-3-1, 22 KOs) might try, including fighting dirty.
"He'll hold you, hit you when the ref is not looking," Marquez said. "I know what Casamayor is capable of. But I trust my own experience. We'll see who's better."
Marquez said he's not worried about the judges. The last time he fought, he came out on the short end of the scorecard against Pacquiao, and Marquez's camp ripped the judging afterward.
"I'll do my job in the ring, and I hope they'll do their job," Marquez said of judges Paul Smith, Patricia Morse Jarman and Glenn Feldman, the trio who will handle the scoring tonight. Tony Weeks will referee the fight.
Marquez conceded he still wants another shot at Pacquiao. But first, he wants to see how he fares at this new weight against a proven lightweight.
"I'm going to wait for the results of Sept. 13 before I decide," he said. "I have to see how I feel at 135. I may not feel good at 135. We will see."
Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.
FIGHT NIGHT
MARQUEZ VS. CASAMAYOR
WHEN: TV card starts at 6 p.m.
WHERE: MGM Grand Garden
TV: HBO Pay-Per-View
LINE: Marquez -380
CHAMPION MORA FINALLY MAKES WEIGHT
Tonight's WBC super welterweight title fight between champion Sergio Mora and Vernon Forrest nearly became a nontitle fight.
Mora initially failed to make the 154-pound limit during Friday's weigh-in at the MGM Grand Garden. He weighed in at 156 pounds, 2 over the limit. He reportedly weighed as much as 6 pounds over the limit Thursday, but dropped 4 pounds before stepping on the scale.
Nevada Athletic Commission rules allow a fighter two hours to make the prescribed weight. After spending 75 minutes trying to shed the final 2 pounds, Mora finally got down to 154.
In a statement released by publicist Fred Sternburg, Forrest said, "I guess I made him eat his words a day early."
Mora's weight issues apparently did not have an impact on betting for the fight, which headlines the undercard of the Juan Manuel Marquez-Joel Casamayor lightweight title fight. As of late Friday, Forrest remained a minus-120 favorite at MGM Mirage properties, with Mora at even money.
STEVE CARP/REVIEW-JOURNAL
