MEXICO CITY -- Juan Manuel Marquez refuses to say goodbye to boxing. The four-time world titleholder, who has not fought in more than two years, returned last week to conditioning sessions with his trainer for a potential farewell fight in 2017, as long as his body responds as he expects.
The 43-year-old fighter said he has been training with Memo Heredia and that he has felt good in this first week of work. Marquez will train until December and once the physical work is done, he will decide what to do.
“We have been training with Memo in the gym, more on fitness than anything else, the body is responding well, but I will not make the decision to return until my body tells me how well I feel,” Marquez said.
During the “Golpe a Golpe” boxing show on ESPN Deportes, Marquez said he still has the desire to do one more fight.
“I want to do everything I can [to get ready]. I don’t want to retire and then return. If the body responds well, we are going to make a comeback, I have the desire to do a retirement fight,” he said.
Marquez has not been in the ring since May 2014 when he defeated Mike Alvarado by unanimous decision at the Forum in Inglewood, California -- the 64th fight of his professional career -- due to knee injuries, an issue Marquez says is in the past.
"I feel good, but let’s see how my body responds when I go to the gym, when I have to train every day, when we do double sessions, six to eight hours of work a day. Right then we’ll decide what comes next, but we want to make that [last] fight,” Marquez said.
Fighters like Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto have been mentioned as potential opponents for a possible Marquez return, but a fifth fight against Pacquiao never materialized and with Cotto, Marquez hasn't been able to reach an agreement on the weight for the fight.
