Pacquiao-Marquez III not on fast track

The blood was still dripping from above Manny Pacquiao's right eye when he was asked if he was willing to go another 12 rounds with Juan Manuel Marquez.

Pacquiao said no. But an hour later, after getting 18 stitches to close two wounds around the eye, the Filipino champion said he might be willing to give Marquez another shot after beating the Mexican in a 12-round split decision Saturday at Mandalay Bay.

"Maybe," Pacquiao said. "But it's not my job to decide. That's for my promoter."

His promoter, Top Rank's Bob Arum, said there is no immediate plan for a third bout between the fighters. They battled to a draw in May 2004.

"I'm not saying we will and I'm not saying we won't," Arum said after Pacquiao took Marquez's WBC super featherweight title belt. "What I'm saying is we have a plan to move up (to 135 pounds) and we're sticking with it."

Part of that plan is for Pacquiao to fight David Diaz on June 28 at Mandalay Bay for Diaz's WBC lightweight belt. But that fight might be pushed back to allow Pacquiao's wounds to heal. Dr. Jeffrey Roth, a plastic surgeon who tended to Pacquiao after the fight, said it normally takes up to eight weeks for the cuts Pacquiao suffered to sufficiently heal.

"It should not preclude him from training or keeping his schedule," Roth said.

Arum wasn't so sure. "We'll see," he said. "We're not going to take any chances."

Freddie Roach, Pacquiao's trainer, said he wouldn't have a problem with his fighter meeting Marquez later in the year, as long as it's not at 130.

"If we have a rematch, it'll have to be at 135," Roach said. "He's not staying at 130."

Meanwhile, Marquez and his camp are angry about the split decision. Richard Schaefer, chief executive officer of Golden Boy Promotions, which promotes Marquez, expressed doubt about the judging. He wondered why Tom Miller took the place of Dick Flaherty, who was originally selected by the Nevada Athletic Commission to work the fight along with Jerry Roth and Duane Ford. Miller's 114-113 score for Pacquiao decided the fight.

NAC executive director Keith Kizer said the switch was made 10 days ago after Flaherty told the commission he had worked fights promoted by Roach's mother. Chairman John Bailey replaced Flaherty with Miller. Schaefer was notified well in advance of the fight and didn't object.

Marquez, who needed eight stitches to close a cut above his right eye, said he wants one more dance with Pacquiao. And he's willing to do it on Pacquiao's terms.

"Of course I can go to 135 or 140, or whatever," he said. "I don't care. I just want to demonstrate to him who won the fights in 2004 and (Saturday)."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or (702) 387-2913.