Q & A WITH JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ AS HE GETS READY TO FACE PACQUIAO
Posted on | March 11, 2008 | No Comments
You do not attend your brother’s fights, nor do he go to yours. When did that start and is there any superstition behind it?
“There is no superstition whatsoever. Simply we do not feel that comfortable watching each other fight and that’s why when one of us fights, the other one stays at home. Honestly, we feel nervous watching each other fight.”
Do other family members go to your fights? If so, who?
“My father used to go to all our fights. A lot of friends too. My mother doesn’t like to go. The only time she went to one of my fights was against Freddie Norwood. I saw her and it made me feel more pressure. It’s easier to fight when my family stays at home.”
Are you and your brother good friends outside the ring? Do you live close to each other and do you hang out in the same group of friends?
“We are great friends but we usually don’t hang out together unless it’s at a family event or by coincidence. We don’t live that close to each other, which makes it that much more difficult to see each other.”
How do your personalities differ? Is one of you more talkative than the other?
“We’re actually almost opposites. Rafael is very quiet and introverted. I am outgoing and extroverted.”
Did you fight each other when you were both young learning the game?
“We sparred together a few times, but our trainer, Nacho Beristain, didn’t like for us to spar because we would get so competitive.”
When was the last time you trained with your brother and where was that?
“Ten years ago when the Romanza Gym was first opened.”
Do you visit each other during training sessions when preparing for fights?
“It sometimes happens when we are both training for a fight. When I am finishing my training, he is arriving to the gym for his.”
Do you ever give each other advice on how to fight an opponent?
“Always. If I see something about my brother’s opponent’s style that he can exploit, I will tell him and how he might be able to. He does the same for me.”
How do your parents feel about both of you being fighters? Is there any sibling rivalry?
“My parents are very happy that we have both been able to become world champions. They’re proud that we’ve both gotten to where we are today because of hard work and dedication, because that is a testament to the values they instilled in us. There is no rivalry between us. I actually think we drive each other to greatness and encourage each other to do the best we can.”
What do the parents do for a living?
“Both my parents are retired and my father is now part of both our teams, so we take care of him through the work he does for us.”
Your bio says there are eight children in your family all together. Where are you in the line and what do the other kids do?
“I am the oldest brother. Beside Rafael, I have a 27-year-old brother who lives in Los Angeles and does not fight. All the others children are girls.
Your father was a pro fighter. What involvement if any does he have in his career?
“He has been involved for a long time. He used to take us to the gym when we were kids, starting when we were nine and seven, and teach us fundamentals. He encouraged us to box. As I mentioned, he is still part of our teams today.”
Although fighting in a different weight division than they did when they first fought in their hotly contested and highly controversial draw four years ago, Juan Manuel Marquez will again enter the ring against Manny Pacquaio on March 15, as the defending world champion. Because he is known for squashing the dreams of many a Mexican fighter—Marco Antonio Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar Larios, Jorge Solis, Hector Velazquez, Emmanuel Lucero and Gabriel Mira—Juan Manuel badly wants a win in their re-match—not only for himself, but for all of Mexico.
Marquez vs. Pacquiao II: “Unfinished Business”—Promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, in association with Romanza Boxing Productions and MP Promotions, the fight will take place Saturday, March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The bout will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.