Boxing News 2015: Juan Manuel Marquez doesn’t want fifth fight with Manny Pacquiao

Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico is hesitant to face Manny Pacquiao for the fifth time, according to a recent interview with the Mexican.

“Yes, I believe they are interested in that fight, but I no longer am and that’s a fact,” the 42-year-old Marquez said in Spanish via ESPN Desportes.

Marquez knocked out Pacquiao in the sixth round of their match-up on Dec. 12, 2012 in what will be remembered as one of the best KO wins by any boxer in recent times.

Marquez’s declaration of no fifth fight with Pacquiao is widely expected considering his dominant performance against the Filipino in their last meeting. While there is big money to be made in fighting Pacquiao, it appears the Mexican is contented in having the KO as his last memory of Pacquiao.

With Floyd Mayweather retiring, Bob Arum, Top Rank Promotions’ chief and the handler of Pacquiao, said that the Filipino is looking at Marquez, Lucas Matthysse, Terence Crawford and Amir Khan as probable opponents when he returns from shoulder injury in 2016.

Marquez’s promoter, Fernando Beltran stated that it is Marquez’s decision if he wants to continue fighting and if he wants to face Pacquiao again for the fifth time. Marquez has gone 1-1 since his KO win over Pacquiao, losing to welterweight contender Timothy Bradley via split decision in 2013 and winning against Mike Alvarado via unanimous decision in 2014.

The first Pacquiao vs Marquez fight happened in 2004 when both fighters settled for a split draw. A rematch happened four years later with Pacquiao winning via split decision and a third fight, in 2011, saw another Pacquiao victory via majority decision. In 2012, Marquez erased both of those losses with a convincing and brutal KO of the Filipino.

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