Hall of Fame boxing trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain hopes Mexican champion Juan Manuel Marquez will be able to send his great rival, Filipino ring icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, to the canvas at least once in their fourth bout.
After their first three fights all ended in controversy, Pacquiao and Marquez will meet yet again on December 8 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, with both boxers gunning for a decisive finish.
Speaking with Miguel Rivera of Boxing Scene, Beristain said he is hoping that for this fight, Marquez will be able to knock down Pacquiao.
“We want to gain a little more speed,” he said. “In the third fight, we were able to keep up with him, and we want to use that approach again to see if we can put him down on the canvas at least once.”
Marquez has never knocked down Pacquiao through their 36 rounds of boxing. Meanwhile, the “Pacman” was able to knock down Marquez three times in the first round of their first fight, though the Mexican rallied to force a draw.
Pacquiao knocked down Marquez again in their 2008 rematch, which he won via split decision. There were no knockdowns in the trilogy bout, which Pacquiao won once again, this time by majority decision.
Beristain acknowledged that it will be difficult for Marquez to send Pacquiao to the canvas.
“I would like to believe, and hope to God, that we put him down once or twice,” he said. “But it is a bit difficult because the Filipino is also a warrior and a very tough fighter.”
But Beristain knows that the only way to guarantee a victory for Marquez is for the Mexican to get a knockout.
“Last time, we thought we had the fight in the bag, but look at what happened,” he pointed out. “You can never tell what the judges are thinking.”
On the other side of the fence, Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach is also hoping that his fighter can finish off Marquez.
Roach has said that he does not believe they can win by decision this time, stressing a need for a knockout.
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