Trainers agree third fight will be best ever

BEVERLY HILLS – There’s only one guarantee from the trainers: this will be one heck of a fight.

“This morning I was asked if the first two fights will ever be forgotten,” said Nacho Beristain during Wednesday’s press conference.

He was referring to the classic fights that featured Juan Manuel Marquez and Manny Pacquiao in 2004 and 2008.

Those were two fights that keep ringing a bell, and Beristain said it will continue to do so, even when the third one is fast approaching.

“No, it will never be forgotten because those are two classic fights,” he continued.

But he assured that the third one, set Nov. 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, will be another one to remember.

He even said this one should top the previous fights between the two great champions.

“The third one will be the best of the three. A classic, too, and I’m very happy to be involved with it. I’m sure this will be the best trilogy of boxing ever,” added Beristain.

Freddie Roach can only agree.

“This will be a classic fight that we’ve wanted for a long time,” he said.

Roach said he knows that the Mexican camp will train harder than ever for this fight, and assured everyone they will do the same.

“We’re gonna be at our best,” he said.

Notes: All 16,000 tickets to the MGM Grand on fight night have been sold, meaning if you don’t have any yet chances are you’ll never get there. “Tickets are sold out. This is an unbelievable response,” said Arum, adding that because of this, they have opened the booths for 20,000 more closed circuit viewing at the MGM Grand and the other MGM hotels in Vegas... As he waited to board the private plane to Mexico, coach Freddie Roach was asked when was the last time he’d been there. Not too long ago, in fact, for a Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. fight earlier this year. He said while others would stay away, he said he has no problem dealing with Mexico’s high crime rate. “I was there for a month and during that period there were 123 assassinations,” he said, not to mention the cases of kidnapping and other drug-related violence. So doesn’t that scare him? “No,” he said, “because when I was there every time I went out people were calling me Pacquiao. They love me in Mexico,” he said. Roach added that during his stay, he got to meet the mayor (named Mario Lopez, not the Hollywood celebrity) and the governor, and was told not to worry about anything. “You’re safe here,” Roach remembered being told.