source: Jun Medina | manilatimes.net
Mexican challenger Juan Manuel Marquez said he has been working on his speed and power to bolster his chances of upsetting heavily favored world welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao in their title fight on November 12 in Las Vegas.
“Now, we are working on building speed. The training is going really well. I think we’re doing it the right way,” Marquez said during the second installment of 24/7 HBO feature Saturday night to hype one of the biggest boxing matches of the year.
As if to underscore his newfound strength, HBO showed footages of a bigger and grim-faced Marquez knocking down a sparring partner with powerful combinations and popping up the speedball from sheer power.
His Hall of Fame Mexican trainer, Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain, acknowledged improvements in Marquez’ game and power, but was quick to downplay the impact of his fighter decking one of his spar mate with a solid straight right hand.
“Those accidents can happen in training. There is no reason to start celebrating,” said the pragmatic trainer, who has developed more than a dozen world champions. “Our goal is Pacquiao and he is what we’re working for.”
But Beristain cited basic changes in Marquez’ training regimen for his prized fighter’s first fight at welterweight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2010. Marquez suffered a near shutout loss to Mayweather in that non-title fight,
“That training was different. He was carrying rocks and it changed his natural flexibility. He became a little slower, as if he’s lost his explosiveness. All these, combined with Mayweather’s great ability and weight advantage, we did bit stand a chance,” Beristain said of Marquez’ training for Mayweather.
This time, Team Marquez hired strength and conditioning coach, Angel Fernandez, to supervise the unified world lightweight champion bulking up to the agreed welterweight limit of 144 pounds.
By adding exercises and drills to improve power and boost speed, Fernandez and Beristain think Marquez stands a better chance against Pacquiao in the third fight of the two boxers’ storied trilogy.
“He will not be as fast as Mr. Pacquiao, but definitely [Marquez] will be faster and stronger [than before],” Fernandez said.
After two very close fights with Pacquiao, Marquez thinks he knows what it takes for him to beat Pacquiao, the consensus best boxer in the world pound-for-pound.
The first Pacquiao-Marquez at super featherweight (126 pounds) in 2004 ended up in a draw; their rematch four years later at 130 was won by Pacquiao via a razor-thin split decision.
“I have to gain weight and somehow have to get up there, but keep my speed and power,” said Marquez, who remains 1-8 under dog among Las Vegas odd makers as of Sunday night.
The crucial question, of course, is if the 39-year-old Marquez has enough speed and power the withstand the explosive and power-punching Pacquiao, who has stopped bigger and stronger natural welterweights, like Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley.
