Pacquiao-Marquez 4 confirmed for December

LOS ANGELES (AFP) –

Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao, pictured in June, will fight Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time on December 8, promoter Bob Arum confirmed.

Filipino superstar Manny Pacquiao will fight Juan Manuel Marquez for the fourth time on December 8, promoter Bob Arum confirmed on Friday.

Pacquiao and Mexico’s Marquez will embark on a three-city international media tour touting the fight starting on Monday in Beverly Hills, California.

Between them Pacquiao and Marquez have won world titles in 12 weight divisions and they will add another chapter to their intense rivalry when they fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas — scene of their first and third fights.

Pacquiao (54-4-2, 38 KOs) was also in negotiations for a rematch against Tim Bradley, who claimed Pacquiao’s welterweight world title with a controversial split-decision victory in Las Vegas on June 9.

Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto was also a possible opponent for Pacquiao, but he announced on Twitter last month that he would fight junior middleweight world champion Austin Trout on December 1 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Pacquiao defeated Marquez in a majority decision in November — a third gut-wrenching result for Marquez against his Filipino foe.

In the build-up to that fight, Marquez had taunted Pacquiao with claims that he was the true winner of their first two clashes — a 2004 draw and a 2008 rematch that went to Pacquiao by a single point on a single scorecard.