By James Slater: Writing in his regular column for newspaper The Mirror, former world featherweight king Barry McGuigan has aired his views on both the upcoming third clash between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez and the ongoing situation regarding the possibility of a mega-fight between Pac-Man and Floyd Mayweather Junior.
McGuigan, who ruled the world in 1985 and ‘86, says he fully expects Pound-for-Pound king Pacquiao to “blow away” Marquez on November 12th. After this happens, McGuigan says, there will be only one conversation in all of boxing: that which asks, will Pac-Man and “Money” finally get it on?
First things first. In two previous meetings, Pacquiao and Marquez went life and death, with the drawn verdict in the first fight as well as the razor-thin victory Pac-Man was awarded in the second fight being questioned and debated still. Going by those two fights, there is little to suggest Pacquiao will “blow away” Marquez this time around. But McGuigan sees this happening in the third fight? Maybe Barry will be proven correct, and he isn’t the only one tipping Pac-Man to win by KO this time. And “Dinamita,” as the great Mexican is known, isn’t getting any younger at age 38. Added to the things going against him ahead of the third fight is the fact that, in his only other fight at welterweight, Marquez looked sluggish and ineffective. Then again, he was in there with the majestic Mayweather!
McGuigan has thrown in his two cents with regards to the ongoing “take the test” OSRDT that Mayweather is demanding of Pac-Man. “The Clones Cyclone” suggests Mayweather “should be able to beat any opponent in his weight class no matter what they bring to the table.” Barry is of the opinion that the drug testing Mayweather has demanded is “an irrelevance if he [Floyd] is as good as he tells us he is.”
It seems McGuigan, if he were looking after Floyd, would advise his fighter to get it on with Pacquiao whether he suspects him of taking illegal substances or not. This attitude is not one Mayweather and his team share, however, and the fight is stuck in limbo as a result. Sure, it would make things easier and the fans would be a whole lot happier if Mayweather agreed to do what McGuigan suggests, and fight Pac-Man regardless, but we all know this isn’t going to happen.
It was so much simpler in the Irish hero’s day, as steroids were never suspected of being taken by boxers. As we all know, this is not the way things are today. Pacquiao insists he is clean, and until anyone proves otherwise he IS a clean fighter. Mayweather believes differently, and this is what is stopping the biggest fight in all of boxing from happening. And Barry McGuigan for one has had enough. Can’t say I blame him!