Pacquiao, the WBO welterweight champion, and Marquez, the current WBO lightweight titlist, have never had problems making weight, especially at the higher weights. Both fighters are obsessed with staying in shape, and both are naturally lighter weight fighters. And true to form, Marquez, despite appearing much bigger in the upper body, weighed in at 142 pounds, two below the limit.
Pacquiao weighed in at 143. So coming in under the catchweight for this fight of 144 pounds was no sweat for the two men who will fight for Pacquiao's WBO welterweight belt in an HBO pay-per-view event (9 p.m. ET).
If Pacquiao and Marquez had to be weighed with the cash they will take from this fight, they would likely come in well over the limit, especially Pacman.
Pacquiao is guaranteed $22 million, plus a share of the pay-per-view take, which Top Rank chairman Bob Arum says could come in around $30 million. Marquez, he said, is guaranteed $5 million with up to $5 million more for the PPV buys.
Asked what he thought of the crowd of 4,500 inside the Grand Garden Arena, Pacquiao said, "I like the fans screaming." Which, of course, made them scream even louder. "I really need to have my best performance in this fight," he said. "I don't want to disappoint the fans. We've trained hard for this fight."
Pacquiao (53-3-2, 38 KOs) said between now and the fight, he would "just rest and prepare for the battle tomorrow." Marquez (53-5-1, 39 KOs), now 38, said he's completing his trilogy with Pacquiao because "I want to fight the best pound-for-pound fighter, so this is the most important fight" of my career.
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