Pacquiao vs Marquez: Marquez Wasn't Wrong to Work with Ex-Steroid Dealer

After former steroid dealer Victor Conte revealed via Twitter on Tuesday that Juan Manuel Marquez was working with ex-steroid dealer Angel Heredia, Marquez is being questioned for his choice in selecting Heredia, who now goes by Angel Hernandez.

Hernandez, who was linked to supplying performance-enhancing drugs to Marion Jones in 2005, has been hired by Marquez's camp as the 38-year-old's strength and conditioning coach.

It's not that everyone is calling Marquez a PED user now. It's that some believe he shouldn't have hired Hernandez in the first place. Because when you hire a former steroid dealer, it has a way of attracting bad attention.

But all these questions must rest.

Hernandez did hurt his reputation when he revealed condemning evidence in 2005, which is probably why he changed his name, but he still has a good reputation among fighters because his workout regimen is widely respected.

Sure, hiring Hernandez wasn't the most politically correct decision, but Marquez isn't trying to be PC right now; he's trying to win the fight of his life.

With Hernandez by his side, Marquez has beefed up considerably, some comparing him more to a bodybuilder than a boxer. Marquez knows that this fight could determine where his legacy ultimately stands. He has already gone on the record that he believes he won the first two matchups with Manny Pacquiao.

Marquez hired Hernandez because he believed that his game plan gave him the best chance to win. He wasn't thinking about Hernandez's past, only the present.

It's too bad that Hernandez was involved in dealing PEDs because the fact of the matter is he was a good enough coach without all the nonsense. He's currently using state-of-the-art techniques to boost Marquez's power, knowing full well that trying to be faster than the lightning-quick Pacquiao is useless.

I can understand why people are raising questions. This is, after all, boxing, a sport that throws around PED-use accusations faster than a Pacquiao punch.

But such questions are ill-advised.

Marquez was looking for the best strength and conditioning coach to prepare him for the legendary Manny Pacquiao. That is all he was doing.