Meeting Marquez again
(Second of two parts) 

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr. 

MANNY Paquiao praised Juan Manuel Marquez by saying how he is so unlike Floyd Mayweather who keeps on running from a fight. Marquez, Pacquiao said, is someone who likes to “brawl toe-to-toe” and admitted that the Marquez style, which is similar to his, is tough to beat. After the speech, the two boxing legends signed autographs, several on boxing gloves which were given free to the media men as souvenir.

After that well-attended presscon, Marquez hurriedly went to the backstage of the Rigodon Hall where members of his Mexican delegation were eating their late lunch. Without his knowledge, I followed him and saw him being interviewed by a Mexican media man from Aztec TV of Mexico City. After the interview, I called his name and unabashedly and bravely said in Spanish, “Juan, te acuerdas tu de mi? (Juan, do you still remember me?). He looked at me and with a big smile pointed his right hand index finger to me and replied, “You, I remember you. Aserquese usted (Come closer).” So I did and he hugged me, shook my hands tightly and asked, “Como le va mi amigo y que puedo ofrecerle a usted? (How is everything my friend and what can I offer you?)”. I answered “Nada Juan. He venido para ver como esta usted (Nothing Juan. I only came in to see how you are).”

He shook my hands again and we had our picture taken. That photo was published here last week. I told him, “mi padre Chicano, mi madre Filipina (My father was a Mexican and my mother was a Filipina). “Yes I know, you told me that before,” he replied. He autographed the back of our photo together taken on November 22, 2006 at Wyndham Hotel in McAllen, Texas and also signed his name on my handkerchief. And before I left, to boost his morale for the coming fight, I whispered to him, “You will win.” With big delight, he gave me a thumbs up and a wink, and said adieu.

My compadre Recah Trinidad waited for me at the lobby of the historic Manila Hotel and together we walked about 800 meters to reach Peter Lee’s Hong Kong Tea House and Restaurant on A. Mabini St. where famous boxing analysts Hermie Rivera and Dennis Principe were waiting for us. And there, sadly, I found out from Kuya Hermie that he had just lost his beloved daughter, the former Christine Pasaoa Rivera, that early Saturday morning due to cardiac arrest in New York. Kuya Hermie was born in Rosario, La Union and became the son-in-law of Dagupan City by marrying nee Tina Pasaoa. He’s the former manager of two ex-world champions Luisito Espinosa (featherweight) and Morris East (junior welterweight).

After extending our condolences to him, we shifted our topic to the November 13 fight, analysing the two protagonists. Kuya Hermie was quick to say that at the catchweight of 144 pounds, Marquez has a slim chance to win or almost none at all because it’s not his weight. That was proven during his clash with Mayweather where Marquez found himself flatfooted. But if the two fight at 135 pounds where Marquez is now the WBA and WBO king, Marquez will be in his ruthless best and will get the bigger likelihood to upset Paquiao. Recah said Marquez, 38, could hope to beat Paquiao, 32, only if he’s able to approximate, if not equalize, the Pacman at his atomic best. Principe echoed the two saying age factor could also play a major role and only ‘father time’ could overcome Paquiao.

I was asked whom I am picking to win. I told them I just want to stay neutral to avoid being labelled as either anti-Filipino or anti-Mexican. But in case Marquez wins, there are only two of my friends I know (so far) who will be in an ecstatic mood. That will be JunV and my town mate Johnny Valencia. “Mahirap naman kung Paquiao tayo lahat kasi wala nang contravida. We’ll play the villain this time para masarap ang kantsawan,” the two said in jest. Who knows, the two might be right.

Let’s wait and see.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: “Marquez is not like Floyd Mayweather who keeps on running in a fight. He likes to brawl toe-to-toe and that’s what I want. We have similar styles. – WBO welterweight champion Manny “Pacman” Paquiao.

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