"You know, again, we gotta be worried about Marquez too. I've always said I was never excited about doing another Marquez fight because we fought two times now and we've had controversy both times. I think there's going to be controversy in this fight too. They say styles make fights, but for some reason, Marquez has Manny's style figured out...I'm confident in Manny's abilities and skills, but I still think there's going to be some controversy when this fight is over...I'm hoping, but I still have concerns, that we can put this trilogy to rest in tremendous fashion and the fight doesn't go 12 rounds and there is no controversy, but I'm not so convinced that there isn't going to be any controversy," stated Manny Pacquiao's adviser, Michael Koncz, as he shared his thoughts on a potential third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez. Check out what else he had to say about Pacquiao, Marquez, and much more.
[ CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT PART 1 OF THIS INTERVIW WITH MICHAEL KONCZ ]
BT: I think Ortiz might look a little better than people expect against Floyd, but I think you're right. Ultimately, experience wise, it's probably a little too soon for him. It would be kind of like throwing Mike Jones to Manny (laughing).
MK: You know, again, we gotta be worried about Marquez too. I've always said I was never excited about doing another Marquez fight because we fought two times now and we've had controversy both times. I think there's going to be controversy in this fight too. They say styles make fights, but for some reason, Marquez has Manny's style figured out. Look, we've knocked him down 4 times and he's gotten up. Sometimes that just happens and, you know, I don't know. I'm confident in Manny's abilities and skills, but I still think there's going to be some controversy when this fight is over. It's not going to be a walk in the park either.
BT: Obviously Manny will be looking to make a statement in hopes of bringing an end to all of that controversy, but is there any extra motivation to look better than Floyd looked when he fought Marquez?
MK: Well, the last fight, you know, when we were negotiating to do Shane Mosley, that was my discussions with Manny. "Manny, let's do Shane. That's the biggest money maker at this point in time. He's got a name, he's got a fan base and so forth, but more importantly, he fought Mayweather, so let's try to do something that Mayweather couldn't do. Let's go in and see if we can make him quit or knock him out." And I think we achieved what we wanted to achieve through that fight, at least from my perspective, because if you look at the Compubox record, the punches thrown by Mosley were very limited compared to what he did with Mayweather. As I explained to Manny, and why I believe we achieved what we wanted to achieve, is that once he [Mosley] got hit by Manny and knocked on his behind, he realized the power of Manny and realized that if he tried to engage in the middle of the ring and go fist for fist with Manny, he's going to get hurt or knocked out. So I think we demonstrated to him that Manny has much more power than Floyd did. I've watched the replay of Floyd's fight with him a couple of times and he engaged Floyd more frequently, much more frequently than he did Manny because the power of Floyd wasn't effecting Mosley as Manny's power was. I don't want to say we made him run, you can make your own determination, but he had no choice. That was my whole plan, to use him as a marker to show people that we are, you know, better in different ways than Floyd and I think we achieved that, as I just stated.
BT: So are you looking at Marquez in the same way, as an opportunity to do something that Mayweather couldn't do?
MK: To be honest with you, I didn't look at that Marquez vs. Mayweather, but again, right now, this is how Manny makes a living, this is his life, he risks it every time he goes in the ring, so we have to look at the business end of it right now. Other than Floyd, Marquez was the most logical sense from an economical perspective. Secondly, I'm hoping, but I still have concerns, that we can put this trilogy to rest in tremendous fashion and the fight doesn't go 12 rounds and there is no controversy, but I'm not so convinced that there isn't going to be any controversy.
BT: Well, I don't think there's going to be any this time. I have a feeling Manny is going to stop him and look pretty good doing it.
MK: Well, I hope and pray and I have faith in him, but we'll see because again, I thought he was going to do that before too. But maybe this extra weight, maybe that's the downfall to Marquez too. Maybe he can't do what he used to at 130 at the higher weight.
BT: I think the problem that Marquez is going to have is that he hasn't gotten any better since their first two encounters, but Manny has.
MK: That's a fact. Manny's improved tremendously. Instead of being the student, he's now the professor because if you watch him in the ring during training, a lot of times, Freddie will suggest something and then Manny will go, "Coach, I think this is better," and Manny will demonstrate it and Freddie will agree with him. I noticed that tremendous change in Manny in the De La Hoya fight. To me, I observed in the De La Hoya fight that he became a thinking fighter, not just a wild fighter throwing all these punches. If you watch the De La Hoya fight, he's anticipating, he's analyzing, he's waiting, and then he's anticipated what Oscar may do and before Oscar can do it...a lot of times, Oscar would throw a punch and Manny's already long gone. I think that's where it started and it just slowly progressed from there where he does that a lot more now. Instead of just being wreckless and using his hand speed and his power, he still wants to entertain and when he gets tapped once or twice, he taps his gloves together and gives the fans what they want, but I think he's matured tremendously and he's now analyzing right in the ring and anticipating what to do right in the ring.
BT: You can see that in a couple of his fights, when Manny alters the game plan and Freddie gets a little upset with him for doing his own thing in the ring (laughing).
MK: That was exactly like in the Cotto fight, you know, he laid against the ropes there for half a round and Freddie was going ballistic. Right after the fight, Manny and I talked and I asked Manny why he did that. He says, "Mike, because I wanted to play with his mind. I wanted to show him that even though he's a bigger guy, that I can take his punches, but you know what? It hurt." (Laughing) So he knows now how to play these psychological games in the ring too. That was the sole purpose of doing it. He just wanted to play with Cotto's mind, saying, "Hey, hit me with everything. I'm not even punching back. You can't hurt me." But, you know, he admitted to me that it did hurt (laughing). But, you know, sometimes that will take the will of the other fighter, so he's mature. He's become very ring savvy. His patience, I think, is his virtue now.
[ CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT PART 1 OF THIS INTERVIW WITH MICHAEL KONCZ ]
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