by Miguel Rivera
The return of four-time world champion Juan Manuel Marquez is being pushed back once again.
The veteran has been in training with Hall of Fame coach Nacho Beristain for a planned return on August 19th in Mexico.
A problem came up, as the target venues are not available for the intended date.
Mexican promoter Fernando Beltran, director of Zanfer Promotions, believes there is an opportunity to schedule Marquez's return on a date in September or October and Monterrey could be one of the possible locations.
With less than a month remaining, it is practically a fact that there would not be enough time to promote Marquez's return in the way that it should be, as it could be the final fight of Marquez's career on Mexican soil.
"It could be pushed back until September or early October," said Beltrán to ESPN Deportes. "Monterrey is one of the likely locations."
Marquez has been out of the ring since May 2014, when he won a twelve round unanimous decision over former champion Mike Alvarado at the Forum of Inglewood, California. The card was promoted by Top Rank and televised as a main event showcase on HBO.
Since that time, there have been several dates kicked around for Marquez's return, but a lingering knee injury caused the boxer to withdraw from numerous dates that were planned for his comeback.
At one point there were serious negotiations for a showdown with fell four division champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico. The fight fell apart when both sides were unable to reach an agreement on a catch-weight that benefited both sides. Marquez was very firm that he wasn't willing to fight any higher than the welterweight limit of 147, while Cotto was not willing to drop down any lower than 150-pounds. Cotto returns on August 26th in a junior middleweight contest against Yoshihiro Kamegai for the vacant WBO title.
2023-10-19 00:44:37
