Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Andre Berto Key to Manny Pacquiao vs. Marquez Trilogy

Juan Manuel Marquez's unrelenting quest for a trilogy with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao seems to be bearing fruit as Pacquiao's promoter Bob Arum set out one condition to make the fight happen hopefully late this year.

Arum is proposing Marquez takes on Andre Berto first at welterweight and if he wins, then a third shot at Pacquiao becomes a possibility.

“Put Marquez in with Berto, let’s see what he does. If he beats Berto, well, obviously, he can fight a Pacquiao,” Arum said, as quoted by Mark Vester on Boxing Scene. “But I don’t think he can fight at the higher weights."

It may be recalled that Marquez fought Floyd Mayweather Jr at 147 last year and he was dominated all throughout by the undefeated boxer.

Arum explained the previous encounter between Pacquiao and Marquez were at the lower weights where Pacquiao knocked down Marquez four times and they are no longer relevant because Pacquiao was not the boxer that he is today.

Pacquiao has since been transformed into a veritable fighting machine, thanks to trainer Freddie Roach who spent sleepless nights and long hours at the Wild Card Gym with Pacquiao for almost almost 10 years.

Arum said Marquez is a good boxer and a nice fellow but he thinks the Mexican idol will suffer if he fights Pacquiao in the welterweight level. Arum suggested he fights Berto at welterweight and if he wins he can have Pacquiao at 147 at a later date.

Still a good number of boxing fans and critics alike said a Pacquiao-Marquez match is a better alternative to Mosley who they said is past his prime. Mosley is turning 40 on his next birthday.

Arum came under attack online and in print and broadcast media for choosing Mosley over other worthy Pacquiao opponents.

Dan Rafael of ESPN wrote: “From day one Top Rank promoter Bob Arum had an agenda when it came to making Manny Pacquiao’s next fight. He wanted to match him with Shane Mosley, and that is what he did, and he doesn’t give a damn what anyone thinks.”

In his entry titled “Pacquiao-Mosley a bad fight for boxing,” Rafael said: “Arum doesn’t care. He only wants to do what is best for himself, certainly not for boxing.”

Rafael described Mosley as an “aging fighter” who does not have “a great chance to win” against Pacquiao. He called the fight “a disservice to real boxing fans who actually care about match-ups and not just a famous but faded name.”

Rafael said Mosley “couldn’t pull a trigger at all” when he fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. in May and that his fight with Sergio Mora in September ended in a “putrid draw.”

Other critics differ in their opinion about the upcoming Pacquiao-Mosley fight.

Butch Romero of Philboxing wrote:Mosley's physical abilities and reflexes aren't what they used to be, but my gut tells me he's got something left. Honestly, I think that Mosley, not Marquez, is the bigger threat right now to Manny (literally and figuratively). Aside from his size, he hits harder, is still fast, and offers a style set that Manny hasn't faced lately, if not ever.

Freddie Roach shares Arum and Romero's thoughts on the upcoming fight saying Mosley is not an easy fight for Manny Pacquiao.