A pair of future first-ballot Hall of Fame fighters who are winding down their careers could once again be on a collision course for a 2017 bout.Juan Manuel Marquez hasnt fought since dominating Mike Alvarado for a unanimous-decision victory in May 2015. Hes 43 years old now and has repeatedly stated that he wants just one more fight before calling it quits.In an interview with the Manila Times (h/t Edward Chaykovsky of Boxing Scene) Marquezs promoter, Bob Arum, discussed the potential for a fifth fight between the Mexican and his longtime rival Manny Pacquiao.Its not going to happen."Marquez came to see us with his lawyer, and he told me that under no circumstances, no matter what money it is, he wont fight Manny Pacquiao," Arum said, per the Manila Times. "He didnt say a hundred million but under no circumstances, he is not going to fight.""The fight will never happen, according to Marquez. He is not interested."What does interest Marquez is a potential career-ending fight against Miguel Cotto.The Puerto Rican icon was scheduled to face James Kirkland on February 25 in the Dallas area in a fight presented by HBO pay-per-view. There was very limited interest in that fight (if any at all), and it was scrapped last week when Kirkland broke his nose in training.There arent many people shedding tears over the cancellation of a PPV event that became the poster child for everything wrong with boxings skewed economics.Nobody wanted the fight, which featured a pair of inactive fighters (neither has been in the ring in two years) and didnt belong anywhere near a pay platform.Luckily that one is out the window, and a fight that can justify asking fans to shell out extra cash could come together between Marquez and Cotto."With Pacquiao, we closed that chapter, and Cotto is a great fighter. He has a great legacy, the Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry that is always at the top of the mountain," Marquez recently said to Alvaro Morales (h/t Miguel Rivera of Boxing Scene)."It would be an interesting fight, especially the rivalry. We can make a great fight, a great entry into that rivalry, but I have to start training. It has to be this year."Cotto-Marquez would clearly be an easier sell on PPV than Cotto-Kirkland was.Both are established stars (even with the inactivity) with natural fanbases and the built-in best national rivalry in the sport. Add to that the fact that both men are heading toward the inevitable close of their careers and you could really have something.The biggest question seems to be whether an acceptable weight can be agreed upon.Rivera reported last week that Marquez was Cottos first choice for a comeback opponent before Kirkland landed the assignment. The problem was related to weight.Marquez didnt want to fight above the welterweight limit of 147 pounds.Cotto preferred something closer to 150 poundssince hes technically been a middleweight (though at a catchweight) for his last three fights.The Mexican has won world titles at 126, 130, 135 and 140 pounds but has never weighed more than 144.5 poundsin a loss to Timothy Bradley in 2013and would have to make a big leap to compete at junior middleweight.That seems like a lot of heavy lifting for a competitor who was his best at featherweight, has suffered through a recent spate of injuries and will turn 44 years old in August.Though it might have to happen if he wants to make the fight, which, if Pacquiao is truly off the table, is probably the only really lucrative bout out there that would land on PPV and entice him to step back in the ring.Cotto hasnt fought at welterweight since 2009.There isn't a lot of reason to expect that he'll go back at this point in his career.He has more potential options (and a contract with Roc Nation that guarantees him a kings ransom for his next fight) and is the man with all the chips in this case.Cotto-Marquez should happen, but its going to have to happen on the Puerto Ricans terms.Just how he likes it.
Click here to read full news..
