Q: You do not attend your
brother's fights, nor does he go to yours. When did that
start and is there any superstition behind it?
"There is no superstition whatsoever. Simply we do not feel
that comfortable watching each other fight and that's why when
one of us fights, the other one stays at home. Honestly, we
feel nervous watching each other fight."
Q: Do other family members go
to your fights? If so, who?
"My father used to go to all our fights. A lot of friends
too. My mother doesn't like to go. The only time she went to
one of my fights was against Freddie Norwood. I saw her and
it made me feel more pressure. It's easier to fight when my
family stays at home."
Q: Are you and your brother
good friends outside the ring? Do you live close to each
other and do you hang out in the same group of friends?
"We are great friends but we usually don't hang out together
unless it's at a family event or by coincidence. We don't
live that close to each other, which makes it that much more
difficult to see each other."
Q: How do your personalities
differ? Is one of you more talkative than the other?
"We're actually almost
opposites. Rafael is very quiet and introverted. I am
outgoing and extroverted."
Q: Did you fight each other
when you were both young learning the game?
"We sparred together a few times, but our trainer, Nacho
Beristain, didn't like for us to spar because we would get so
competitive."
Q: When was the last time you
trained with your brother and where was that?
"Ten years ago when the Romanza Gym was first opened."
Q: Do you visit each other
during training sessions when preparing for fights?
"It sometimes happens when we are both training for a fight.
When I am finishing my training, he is arriving to the gym for
his."
Q: Do you ever give each other
advice on how to fight an opponent?
"Always. If I see something about my brother's opponent's
style that he can exploit, I will tell him and how he might be
able to. He does the same for me."
Q: How do your parents feel
about both of you being fighters? Is there any sibling
rivalry?
"My parents are very happy
that we have both been able to become world champions.
They're proud that we've both gotten to where we are today
because of hard work and dedication, because that is a
testament to the values they instilled in us. There is no
rivalry between us. I actually think we drive each other to
greatness and encourage each other to do the best we can."
Q: What do the parents do for
a living?
"Both my parents are retired and my father is now part of both
our teams, so we take care of him through the work he does for
us."
Q: Your bio says there are
eight children in your family all together. Where are you in
the line and what do the other kids do?
"I am the oldest brother. Beside Rafael, I have a 27-year-old
brother who lives in Los Angeles and does not fight. All the
others children are girls.
Q: Your father was a pro
fighter. What involvement if any does he have in his career?
"He has been involved for a long time. He used to take us to
the gym when we were kids, starting when we were nine and
seven, and teach us fundamentals. He encouraged us to box.
As I mentioned, he is still part of our teams today."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Although
fighting in a different weight division than they did when
they first fought in their hotly contested and highly
controversial draw four years ago, Juan Manuel Marquez will
again enter the ring against Manny Pacquiao on March 15, as
the defending world champion. Because he is known for
squashing the dreams of many a Mexican fighter—Marco Antonio
Barrera, Erik Morales, Oscar Larios, Jorge
Solis, Hector Velazquez, Emmanuel Lucero and Gabriel Mira—Juan
Manuel badly wants a win in their re-match—not only for
himself, but for all of Mexico.
Marquez vs. Pacquiao II:
"Unfinished Business"—Promoted
by Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank, in association with
Romanza Boxing Productions and MP Promotions, the fight will
take place Saturday, March 15 at the Mandalay Bay Resort &
Casino in Las Vegas. The bout will be produced and
distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6
p.m. PT.