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Pacquiao-Marquez 3 expected to draw big numbers



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The people behind the third installment of the Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez rivalry promise a mega fight, saying this early that their Las Vegas showdown in November is expected to do incredibly well in the record charts. "It’s a great fight to begin with," said Top Rank executive event producer Brad Jacobs, who added that the long standing rivalry between two of the boxing’s explosive fighters. Jacobs, a first time visitor in Manila, arrived last Monday in time for Saturday’s kickoff leg of the Pacquiao-Marquez press tour. Top Rank is co-organizing the event together with Solar Sports and GMA Network. A crowd of more than 50,000 fans are expected to troop to the Quirino Grandstand in Luneta on Saturday. Pacquiao, Marquez and Top Rank big boss Bob Arum will also hols a press conference at the Manila Hotel. The Pacquiao-Marquez four-city pomo tour will also have stops in New York City, Los Angeles and Mexico City. Jacobs said they are expecting the November 12 fight at the MGM Grand will surpass the 1.4 million pay-per-view buys set by the Pacquiao when he faced Sugar Shane Mosley last May. "It’s has the potential to be the most watched Pacquiao fight on pay-per-view. We did close to 1.4 million with Mosley," said Jacobs. "I can’t put any numbers to that. Our goal is to exceed the expectations—get to 1.4 million and go past it." Having two great champions inside the ring for a third time is enough reason why the fight will be among the biggest this year. "And a lot of people think it’s even at this point. So we have this trilogy," Jacobs said. Pacquiao and Marquez’s first meeting at 126 pounds in 2004 ended in a controversial draw. A rematch, at 130 lbs, after four years saw Pacquiao winning by a split decision that many people felt could have gone the Mexican’s way. Marquez said he won both fights and for three years called on Pacquiao for a third fight. He finally got his long-awaited wish in November at a catchweight of 144 pounds. – JVP, GMA News
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