BOB
ARUM: The
reports we are getting from the closed circuit exhibitors and the foreign
broadcasters are very enthusiastic so we’re anticipating a tremendous event on
December 8th. It will be a fight that will go into the annals of
boxing history because these gentlemen that fought three previous times and over
the course of the timeline, this fourth fight will be the best fight of
all.
FREDDIE
ROACH: We
have a tough fight ahead of us. We know that Marquéz in a great counter-puncher.
We are working on things to defeat that counter-puncher style. Manny is looking
great in training. I like what I see. He is where I want him to be right now.
His focus is where it has not been for some time. He is very focused for this
fight and I think it’s going to be the best fight yet.
MANNY
PACQUIAO: Training camp has been going great. I have really been training hard for this
fight.
Do
you plan on going for the knockout in this fight?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: Right now my mind is focused on being more aggressive for this fight. If there
is a chance in the ring during the fight, why not make the fight easy (knock him
out) if I have the opportunity?
FREDDIE
ROACH: The thing is Marquéz fought the fight at a slow pace the last time. We plan to
fight the fight at a much faster pace this time like we did in the first fight
in the early rounds – that’s where we had the most success. Going by all the
tapes we have watched, we do our best when we are more aggressive. More hand
speed. We are going to use a lot of that.
What
do you think if the referee just would have stopped that first fight after the
three first-round knockdowns?
FREDDIE
ROACH: The thing is, the referee was very experienced and he made a good call. Now we
are in the fourth fight, and Nacho Béristain is my big rival and we need a big
win here.
Do
you have any kind of relationship with Márquez outside of the
ring?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: No, we are just doing our job in the ring. We have a job to do, to do our best
and make the people happy. I never hate my opponent outside of the ring. It is
just my job to fight and there is nothing personal. I guess we are kind of
friends because I look at all of my opponents as a friend.
Did
the two of you sing a duet in México?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: Yes, we did sing a song together at TV Azteca for a live show in México City. I
remember that I was more on key than he was.
Are
you worried about Márquez being stronger?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: Our strategy for this fight is to be more aggressive. Develop strength more and
focus on speed. I am not worried about his strength.
FREDDIE
ROACH: I don’t think it is a factor. I don’t think muscle-men have a better chin. If
anything, I think if you put a lot of muscle he will be a little slower than he
used to be and we are going to take advantage of that.
Do
you feel extra pressure considering [recent losses during] the last couple
fights?
FREDDIE
ROACH: No, I just do the job the best I can to get Manny ready for this fight. I
thought Manny won the last fight [against Timothy Bradley] 11 rounds to 1 so I
don’t really consider that a loss. So it’s just business as usual.
MANNY
PACQUIAO: NO.
If
you can’t get Floyd Mayweather into the ring next year will you continue to
fight?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: Yes,
I will continue to fight through next year.
What
is your motivation to fight Márquez?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: I am giving him a chance. I am giving him a chance to prove he can win the fight
because he thought he has won all three and he keeps talking about it. So it is
very important to me, to win this fight, especially since Márquez really wanted
this fight.
What
is the difference in the two of you between the first fight and
now?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: We are much more experienced now. But it is not harder because we know each
other so well in the ring.
Will
you be able to be as aggressive now as you were a few years
ago?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: Right now I am training with more aggression and more intensity in the ring and
that is our focus right now.
How
do you plan to be more aggressive?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: Yes, that’s why I train hard for this fight. More action, more condition in the
ring, which I have been doing in all of training camp. I always train hard, but
this time is a little harder. Harder and more punches, and some changes. We have
been throwing more combinations, and changing our strategy – in movement. So it
will be a little different than the last one.
Do
you see a future fight against Cotto? Who will win Cotto vs.
Trout?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: Yes, there is a chance. I think Cotto will win the fight. Not sure if by
decision or knockout. Better chance for knockout but not
sure.
What
are the best attributes of Márquez?
He
is a good counter-puncher. He is very patient and sits back and waits for
action. If I waited for him to throw the punches first, the fight would be
boring. That’s why I have always
been the one to make the fight between us.
Why
have these fights been so close?
BOB
ARUM: They are close because they are close. There was controversy after the last
fight and they are matched very well together. Both of them will be looking for
different strategies this time so that the winner will be more conclusive.
That’s what they are saying – each of them will be more aggressive and each of
them will be taking the fight to the other. That may be a disadvantage for Juan
Manuel whose biggest advantage is counter-punching but he’s going to be a lot
more aggressive as well.
Can
you envision a fifth fight?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: I
don’t know. It’s hard to imagine a fourth one.
BOB
ARUM: There is a possibility. Not likely but a possibility. Robinson and LaMotta
fought 6 times.
Is
there any strategy you want to change from the last three
fights?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: I
will try not to fight as slow at the end of this fight as I did in the last
three fights. That is my focus now. I want to finish stronger in this
fight.
Do
you feel added pressure to be better than the last couple of
fights?
MANNY
PACQUIAO: I
don’t feel any extra pressure for this fight. I chose to fight
him.
Juan
Manuel is nervous about the judges…
MANNY
PACQUIAO: I
don’t have any say in the judges. I don’t pick the judges. I am an athlete and
train hard to fight well in the ring. Selecting the referee and the judges is
the job of the commission.
In
closing…
BOB
ARUM: I
am certain that we will see a fight that is different from the other
three.
MANNY
PACQUIAO: I
want to say thank you to all the fans and hope that you watch the fight on
December 8 between Juan Manuel Márquez and me and it’s going to be a good fight
in the ring.
**************************************
All-new
editions of HBO’s all-access reality series 24/7 PACQUIAO/MÁRQUEZ 4 debut
on Saturdays – November 24 (12:15-12:45 a.m. ET/PT), and December
1 (9:30-10:00 p.m. ET/PT) – while the finale debuts Friday, December
7 (8:00-8:30 p.m. ET/PT), the night before the high-stakes welterweight
showdown. All four episodes will have multiple replay dates on HBO, and the
series will also be available on HBO On Demand and HBO GO®.
Remaining
tickets to Pacquiao-Márquez 4 are priced at
$1,200, $900, $600, $400, and $200. Ticket sales at $1,200, $900, $600 and $400
are limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $200 are limited to two (2) per
person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster (800)
745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
The
Pacquiao vs. Márquez 4 telecast, which begins at 9:00 p.m. ET / 6:00 p.m. PT,
will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available
to more than 92 million pay-per-view homes. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home
Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the
pay-per-view industry. Follow HBO Boxing news at www.hbo.com and
at www.facebook.com/hboboxing. Use the hashtag
#PacMarquez to join the conversation on Twitter. For Pacquiao vs. Márquez
updates, log on to www.toprank.com or www.hbo.com.