WBA and WBO lightweight (135 pounds) titlist Juan Manuel Marquez may have lost out on a third bout with eight-division king, Manny Pacquiao
, but the 37-year-old, three-division champion still has plenty of options, according to Golden Boy Promotions head matchmaker, Eric Gomez.
, but the 37-year-old, three-division champion still has plenty of options, according to Golden Boy Promotions head matchmaker, Eric Gomez."We'll be getting together some time this month with Marquez. We'll go over numbers and go over the opponents," said Gomez on Monday.
"Marquez has expressed some interest in going up to 140 and perhaps maybe fighting Amir Khan," said Gomez. "Amir Khan is of interest, and we have tried making that fight before. So there is some interest."In facing the 24-year-old Khan (24-1, 17 knockouts), Marquez (51-5-1, 38 knockouts) would be pursuing the WBA junior welterweight (140 pounds) king and an opportunity to become the first Mexican fighter to earn a fourth crown over as many weight classes.
But Khan already is being considered for an HBO televised, April 16 date in his native England, potentially against Lamont Peterson (28-1-1, 14 KOs), of Washington, D.C., who is coming off of a Dec. 11 draw with southpaw Victor Ortiz (28-2-2, 22 KOs) that was on the under card of Khan's unanimous decision win over Marcos Rene Maidana (29-2, 27 KOs).
"We are looking at that [Khan] and working on that as well, and the date is set on his return for April 16. We are going to be working on the financial situation and the opponent and so on," said Golden Boy Promotions' CEO, Richard Schaefer.
"But the Khan fight will definitely be in the United Kingdom," said Schaefer. "There are different names that are being discussed, and one of the names which has been discussed is Lamont Peterson."
So in what is the most likely of scenarios, Gomez and Schaefer said that Marquez could be matched against 34-year-old Erik Morales (51-6, 35 KOs) in a clash of Mexican, three-division titlists likely on April 9 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"We are going to see if we can get that fight done," said Schaefer of Marquez-Morales. "That's one of the fights that we will be working on in the next couple of days and weeks."
In November, Marquez rose from a third-round knockdown to stop WBO interim king, Michael Katsidis (27-3, 22 KOs), in the ninth.
Marquez has twice battled a disputed draw, and, a disputed, split-decision loss, respectively, against Pacquiao (52-3-2, 38 KOs), despite rising from a combined total of four knockdowns.
Marquez had been considered as an opponent for Pacquiao until last month, when FanHouse first reported that Pacquiao had chosen to make a defense of his WBO welterweight (147 pounds) belt against three-division, five-time champion Shane Mosley (46-6-1, 39 KOs) on May 7 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Pacquiao is coming off of a Nov. 13 unanimous decision over Antonio Margarito that earned him the WBC's vacant junior middleweight (154 pounds) title.
"We're going to present to Marquez different opportunities and different fights and different ideas. It's very preliminary right now, but, yes, Morales is being considered," said Gomez.
"But Morales is a consideration along with one of three or four guys who are being considered," said Gomez. "So we would have to sit down with Juan Manuel Marquez because he's the champ and he's our guy and we'll let him decide for himself what he wants to do."
In March of 2005, Morales scored a unanimous decision over Pacquiao, who has since gone 13-0, with eight knockouts -- including stoppages of Morales in the 10th, and, third rounds, respectively.
A winner of three straight fights, Morales is coming off of December's unanimous decision victory over Dominican-born Francisco Lorenzo , of Irvington, N.J., for the WBC's silver light welterweight title at Caliente Racetrack, in Tijuana, Baja, California, Mex.
Prior to Lorenzo, Morales earned September's welterweight, sixth-round knockout of Scottland's Willie Limond that was fought at a catch weight of 143 pounds.
Limond was the second straight win for Morales, who, in March, earned a 12-round, unanimous decision over Jose "Jicaras" Alfaro (23-6, 20 KOs) in Monterrey, Nuevo, Leon, Mex.
Alfaro ended a 31-month absence from the ring for Morales and a four-match losing streak that was part of five losses in his previous six fights. Morales-Alfaro was the Mexican's for fight since 2007, when he lost a decision to David Diaz for the WBC lightweight crown.
Morales is most known for losing two of three bouts in his trilogy with Mexico City's 36-year-old, five-time, three-division champion, Marco Antonio Barrera (66-7, 43 KOs). Barrera-Morales was the Mexican equivalent of Muhammad Ali-Joe Frazier.
Marquez owns a July of 2007, unanimous decision victory over Barrera, but never has faced Morales.
"We feel that Marquez-Morales would be a big seller in the Mexican community, and it's a fight that the Mexican community has always wanted but it was never done," said Gomez. "Marquez wants to fight in Las Vegas, so there is a good possibility that it will be in Las Vegas either in March or April around there."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
