After several weeks of speculation, Juan Manuel Marquez and his team have revealed that he will now be staying at lightweight to take on mandatory WBO challenger Michael Katsidis instead of moving up to light welterweight to challenge for Amir Khan's WBA title.
Khan's story is that Marquez has priced himself out of fighting him, although no specific details on what he was asking for have been released by either camp. Given that Marquez's last two fights have both been on pay per view, and that both have sold successfully however, it isn't too surprising that he asked for a big purse.
With Khan's guarantee of one million dollars per fight, as per his contract with Golden Boy, there probably wasn't room to accommodate Marquez's demands as well for a fight of this size.
Also to be fair to Marquez, it would have been him taking all the risk by fighting Khan. Above his natural weight, stylistically at a big disadvantage and likely to lose at least one of his lightweight titles in the process as well.
Khan's statement on the matter, talking to Lem Satterfield of Fanhouse was:
"The next fight I think is now pushing toward Maidana. And the reason for that is that we just can't tie up the purse, and the money issues with Marquez because he's asking for too much money, and I think that without fighting me, he's not going to get a big pay day,"
It is also entirely possible that Marquez and his team just decided that fighting Katsidis was simply the better move at this stage of his career, and priced themselves out of the fight intentionally. Avoiding the inevitable accusations that he was ducking Khan that would have come had he and his team said only that they would prefer to remain at lightweight.
Juan did say a few months ago that he didn't want to be used as a stepping stone, which let's face it, was what Khan intended to do with him. Then again in fighting a return Floyd Mayweather, Marquez didn't have any such concerns, despite the fact that he faced longer odds then than he would now against Khan.
Whether or not Marquez's move was deliberate though, to my mind he has done the entire sport a big favor by choosing to fight Katsidis over Khan.
Firstly, Katsidis deserves his shot at the WBO lightweight title proper, and has held the interim version for close to a year now. Further, he and Marquez should make for an action packed fight, certainly much more interesting than watching Khan keep Marquez at arms length all night.
Should he beat Katsidis, the door is also still open for Marquez to move up in weight in the future if he can find an easier stylistic match up. Losing to Khan now however would more or less relegate Marquez to being thought of only as a lightweight for the rest of his career.
Secondly, this also leaves Khan with very few options for a December opponent, except seemingly for his own mandatory challenger and Golden Boy stablemate Marcos Maidana. Currently Khan is ranked at number two or three at light welterweight depending on which ranking list you subscribe to, with Maidana more or less universally ranked at number four. Meaning that unequivocally, he would be a tough test for Khan and would pave the way for a fight against the winner of Devon Alexander vs. Timothy Bradley which takes place early next year
Not only that but Maidana is also a big puncher and a genuine light welterweight, and fighting him will assuage most of Khan's many doubters who regularly accuse him of either deliberately taking easy fights or being protected by his promoter.
Sean Ellis, Harrisburg: "Maidana is an easy fight for Khan if he sticks to his boxing and doesn't mix it up too much, I don't know why everyone's trying to protect him so much"
Robbie Flower, Pittsburgh: "Finally Khan has to take on someone his own size and weight, unless he goes after Juan Diaz now"
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Comments
lol,,, you say that your afraid to pass 140 lbs. before you fight to manny again.
i think JMM is scared of Khan that's what i really think
Juan Manuel Marquez realized that King Khan will eat him alive in the ring. So what did he do, made a turn around and now saying he is fighting Katsidis.
fight khan first before me
correct
So Marquez is willing to fight Manny for a 3rd payday, I mean fight at 147lbs but not willing to fight Khan. What's that say about Marquez? So basically Arum is right in saying that he should fight a legitimate welterweight let alone light welterweight in Khan before stepping up to Manny. Makes sense; and Marquez just proved that in picking Katsidis.
Goood move JMM. You knew that you don't really belong to Welter Weights. And you knew that Khan would whoop you behind. Stay at lightweight where you really belong. Stop begging Pacquiao and stop dreaming that you can beat him at WWs. You had buit up a good reputation for a long time at lightweight. You don't want it crushed by a single event when you are about to retaire.
That's Juan... he prices himself out when he isn't too keen on the fight.
Remember his return match with Pacquiao??? Well, he turned down $750K saying it's not enough. He disappeared from Pacquiaio's view for 4 years until he mustered enough courage to do the rematch and did better than expected of himself.
GBP know JMM is going down hill so the want to make more money out of him by feeding him to Pac.... first !!! good one GBP..
Arum said he wouldnt give him the pacquiao fight EVEN if he beat KHAN. its all over youtube!
Good for marquez, I don't think he's big and strong enough for Khan, esp Khan is younger than him. With Marquez out of the picture, this will give one of my favorite boxer Maidana a chance to prove to the world that he's one of the best jr welterweight by defeating Khan. If he can accomplish this, he'll be the next contender to fight Pacquiao. I like this chinese/argentine pugilist, he's tough can take power punches and is very capable of knocking out opponent. I don't know if he'll survive if he's going to be matched up with Pacquiao, but his chances of winning is better. We'll see what the future will bring him. We'll find out soon.
Yeah, I think Maidana will end up using Khan as a stepping stone. He is a great fighter, lots of action and power - Khan will go down.
Good Move...
Just stay in Lightweight Division because you don't really belong in Welterweight...
Stop the crap about MP...
manny pacquiao is not a real welter hes only a catch weight fighter anyway
JMM is mayweathering Khan
@robby flower
if marquez really wants to fight the pacman why defend his title instead of moving up and clean the junior welter weight then next the welterweight division......this shows he doesn't deserve another shot for the pacman, he is even afraid to face amir khan.
Mayweathering Khan...lol..i like that.JMM is pulling a mayweather on khan..
maybe he came to his senses...
nice move JMM, now u know ur real place... stay in lightweight and stop following pacman... u had ur chance to beat him but u really fell short... enjoy ur life man and rule ur own place...
Khan is an overrated fighter. Nothing special. View him being ko'd in one round. Marquez is just naturally smaller, and won't resort to steroids like some other fighters. The real story is Khan doesn't want Maidana right now, who is a stellar fighter with a lot of pop, which won't fair too well with Khan's glass chin. Doesn't look like he has much of a choice now. I'm tickled pink with the Marquez-Katsidis matchup. Two fighters made for each other. Should be a great fight. Maidana-Khan? Maidana win in 3 by KO. Don't waste your money.
Stop all pacman-marqeuz III. Marquez had the chance to prove that he can fight at higher weight div, but he backed out. It proved that he's just for lightweight so he doesn't deserve a fight with pacman at higher weight. So long Marquez.
GBP & oscar dela hoya's true color was exposed here. looking to fight pacman at WW while ducking a legit opponent at LTWW? what a joke!
Whomever JMM fights, either Katsidis or Khan, he will lose. They all gave power, JMM has none, and has nothing to make boxing exciting. All he will do is land soft jobs, more on counter punches, that's it. He is clever if he'll not be knocked out.
wahahaa...he wants a big payday...not fighting khan but before this things happen he was begging to fight pacquiao at 147 pounds what the hell this team is thinking off...well all i know is he is really scared of fighting Khan...he will be punished...sacred as the way gayweather was with pacquiao...enough MISTER DINAMITA...your on the brink already ...chicken dinamita heheheheh..
he should fight tim bradley and take his belt easily instead of fighting katsidis who loss to those fighters that marquez has defeated. khan vs marquez is good enough but why settle for katsidis?? he's making a mistake again come on marquez you're better than that!!! you stink juan cause you always bum everyone out like fighting a rematch against juan diaz it stinks you spoiled it man having that great one fight is enough. sigh...
Hmmm. Most the boxing fans believe, Marquez and Beristain is afraid of facing Khan. Why? Khan is a much younger, faster and wiser boxer than Pacman. Marquez will surely loose, and I mean loose bad if he ever faces Amir Khan. But, at this stage, both will loose to Pacman if ever the fight happens at 147. Marquez at 147 against Pacman will end his career and stop his piss drinking altogether. It will even be so embarrassing that his next fight will be against Morales, just to get his cajones up.
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