A fifth Pacquiao vs Marquez clash remained in the headlines for years. Ultimately, it never took place despite promises.
Juan Manuel Marquez told arch-rival Manny Pacquiao the fifth installment of their saga would happen after knocking the Filipino out cold on December 8 of 2012.
Promoter Fernando Beltran said Marquez would return the favor. He would grant Pacquiao the chance to redeem himself following the sixth-round KO.
Citing Pacquiao’s decision to face Marquez in a fourth fight, Beltran was eager to return the favor. Everybody knew the fight would make a lot of money.
Beltran even penciled in a date of September 14 for the massive 2013 encounter.
Pacquiao vs Marquez V
“Juan Manuel Marquez is a gentleman. We think Manny gave us the opportunity without needing to provide us with one. If we need to fight him, we will fight him,” Beltran said.
It never transpired.
Pacquiao was up in the series after three bouts, controversially, but could have easily walked away without giving the Mexican a fourth chance. In hindsight, maybe that was the correct decision.
Marquez had his revenge. The thought of giving that up for Pacquiao to potentially gain another dodgy decision or a stoppage was too much of an incentive to stay away.
At the time, they were Top Rank’s two biggest stars. WBN asked Carlo Moretti if there was a chance of getting the pair together.
“The fight [between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Marquez] is so far off,” Moretti told World Boxing News. “No serious consideration has been given to anything yet.”
We now know that Marquez was entirely behind this decision.
Fight fans were desperate to see the two warriors in the ring again. If anything, to gauge whether the ‘Pac-man’ was still capable of overcoming a foe he has beaten twice before.
‘Too huge not to happen’
Advisor Fred Sternburg assured WBN that the fight was too lucrative not to go ahead. Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum did all he could to persuade Marquez.
“I am sure Bob Arum has read these comments [by Marquez saying he won’t do it]. But Pacquiao vs Marquez V is too huge, both financially and as an event,” Sternberg told World Boxing News.
Suggestions that Marquez was holding out for a larger share of the pot were way off the mark.
“Dinamita” wouldn’t even do it for a 50-50 split of the purse. Even when $60 million was requested from the Filipino Department of Tourism.
People wanted a fifth opportunity to see if what they witnessed in that exceptional fifth round at the MGM Grand could go down again.
Top Rank pulled out all the stops, even as far forward as 2016, although Marquez didn’t want to go down that same road.
Phil Jay is an experienced boxing news writer. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN. Follow WBN: Facebook, Insta, Twitter.
