MANILA -- The Fourth Act in the historic duel between Filipino Manny Pacquiao and Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez will feature and decide the question on not only who between the two is a better gladiator but, also who between trainers Freddie Roach and Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain is the finer guru.

Both Roach and Beristain have been enshrined in the Hall of Fame house of boxing history, attesting to their distinction as the best in their chosen craft.

The star-studded cast of characters in the Dec. 8 classic includes the future Hall of Fame inductees in Pacquiao and Marquez themselves and the recent honoree Bob Arum, head of the Rank Promotions that handles the Pacman’s fights.

In all the media tour stops – first in Los Angeles and then New York – both Roach and Beristain vowed to employ new tactics to ensure victory for their respective protégé and close the unanswered questions that remained hovering over their heads despite meeting three times before in over 36 rounds.

“Three times we fought him (Marquez) and twice we won, But still the doubts remain” the 52-year-old Roach sighed during a telephone interview with People’s Journal shortly after the Mexico joust.

“The fact that Manny beat him twice, proved he’s the better fighter, But the closeness of the results in the second bout (which ended in a split decision) and the third (majority verdict) led the fans to doubt them,” the owner of the Wild Boxing Gym at the heart of Los Angeles analyzed.

To erase, once and for all, the doubts, we have to exploit new strategies to counter Marquez’s counter-punching style of fighting. And we’ll have to do it s early as in the training camp, “ Roach said, admitting that of the previous trilogy, he has yet to come up with a good strategy to justify Pacquiao’s two wins.

“Juan Manuel is a smart fighter. We're going to get Manny in the best shape possible. We know it will be a difficult task. Juan Manuel is a terrific fighter,” he said. “We have to focus on the many things we have to do in the camp. One of those, of course, is to remove all the distractions that will come our way.”

In an effort to short of belying Marquez’s claim he won all those three encounters, Roach cited his pupil’s docking the Mexican in their first showdown in 2004 and once four years later. Pacquiao also landed the most number of power punches in the third in November last year.

Beristain, for his part, in virtually accepting Pacquiao’s twin triumphs, likewise, wasted no words in praise of Pacquiao.

“Manny Pacquiao is one of the best fighters I have seen in recent time,” Beristain stated during the Mexico presser. “Juan Manuel Marquez is a fighter I have watched grow and fights with passion like nobody else.”

“This final confrontation will be a war that will leave everyone satisfied. Manny Pacquiao is like a typhoon, but will confront a technical and class fighter in Juan Manuel.”

Meanwhile, Like in every Mexico leg of the media tour to promote their previous fights, the Filipino fighting congressman from Sarangani province nearly overshadowed Juan Manuel Marquez in the third stop of their press conference Friday (Saturday in Manila) held at the posh New Mexico City Arena.

Close to 11,000 boxing aficionados made up of Mexicans and Filipinos and even Americans waited before the two fighters arrived and stayed at the site of the presscon for hours just to have a glimpse of their favorite fighters spoke to them.

Pacquiao told his audience he, at first did not agree to a fourth fight but conceded just the same after some reckoning.“I’m happy to fight him for the fourth time. I have to recognize how difficult he is as a fighter, a great warrior, and I’m really happy to come to Mexico City… to Filipinos in Mexico, thank you very much for being here. I didn’t intend to fight another Mexican fighter, but that’s the way things are.”

Marquez, on the hand, was in his usuals elf telling his rival, “Thank you Manny Pacquiao for accepting the fourth fight, because they stole the last one from me in November.”He then added, “It’s an honor to fight Pacquiao. I want to prove who is the best. I have done so on three occasions and here comes the fourth."

The Mexican legend vowed to prepare well and get himself ready to celebrate Christmas and New Year victorious.*PNA

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