GL: Congrats on your recent victory over Rocky Juarez. Can you give us some thoughts on your performance? Was it easier than you expected? "Thank you for the congratulations, but let me tell you I never said that Rocky Juarez was going to be an easy opponent. He's a great fighter and he's hard to beat and I prepared myself very hard for that. I learned a lot of things from that fight, but it was a great victory."

GL: Where do you go from here?

Juan Manel Marquez: "As you know I just want to fight Manny Pacquiao. Manny Pacquiao has claimed to be the Mexican killer and he's lying. He hasn't beat me and he doesn't want to fight me. I'm waiting for the fight, I just want Pacquiao to stop running away from me and make the fight happen."

GL: Bob Arum recently made it clear that Pacquiao plans on moving up to lightweight. If that happens would you be willing to fight him at 135 pounds?

JMM: "Believe me, these are just excuses Bob Arum and Manny Pacquiao are using. We've heard it all and they have many, many excuses. I would just like for them to stop making up excuses. If he wants to fight me, fight me. If I have to move up to 135 to fight him I will do that, I don't want him to make any more excuses though."

GL: What did you think about Pacquiao's performance against Barrera?

JMM: "I think he's missing some of the explosivness and quickness that he's known for. He's had a different style in the rematch with Barrera and the fights with Erik Morales. When he fought me he was quicker and more explosive. Maybe he knows that I'm the only one who can beat him and that's why he doesn't want to fight me."

GL: Other than the first round, you seemed to figure Pacquiao out pretty well. Are you confident that you've solved the puzzle and would make the rematch a one-sided fight?

JMM: "Definitely. He knew it when I fought him the first time. I was knocked down three times in the first round, but I got up and I pulled off a great victory against him. They gave him a draw and that's fine. But since then he knows that I'm the only one who can beat him and I'm the only one who has beaten Manny Pacquiao. He doesn't want to fight me and he's just making a lot of excuses. He cannot be considered a pound for pound fighter if he's not looking to fight the best of them and I'm the best."

GL: The fight that Bob Arum has been mentioning is a fight with Pacquiao and WBC lightweight champion David Diaz. Do you feel more fans want to see Pacquiao fight you again than anyone else?

JMM: "Definitely. As you can see, Bob Arum has tried to get the easiest opponent for Manny Pacquiao. He did with Barrera the last fight and now he's trying to do with David Diaz this time. He knows that's an easier fight than him fighting me. At the end of the day Manny Pacquiao is going to be losing fighting those fights are money and fans. The only thing that will stop me from focusing on Manny Pacquiao is if he stood right in front of me, looked me in my face just admitted he doesn't want to fight me because he's scared of me."

GL: If the fight with Manny Pacquiao cannot be made, are there any fights at 130 pounds that interest you?

JMM: "Those are things I just leave to my promoters. Whatever they tell me I just do it. But there's been a lot of excuses from the Pacquiao camp. Either we make it happen or we don't. Bob Arum knows that fighting me is better business than having Pacquiao fight David Diaz. That would be like another fight with Solis. There will be no PPV, no nothing. He knows the better business is fighting me, so he can't use that as an excuse."

GL: What's the earliest you'd be ready to fight Pacquiao?

JMM: "March. Maybe you know this, but the TV, the promoters, everybody is talking about fighting in March. The only thing we are waiting for is Bob Arum and Manny Pacquiao to say yes. All of the conditions that they put on the table we've accepted. There is no money reason, no weight reason, nothing. If the fight doesn't happen it's because they don't want to fight me."

GL: Is there anything you'd like to say in closing?

JMM: "I have a great appreciation for my fans and I want them to know that I'm willing to fight Manny Pacquaio under any conditions. The conditions that they put on the table we accepted, now it's up to Manny Pacquiao to decide if he wants to fight me or if he's scared of me."

M

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