Not so long ago Juan Manuel Marquez was heavily tipped to be leaving current promoters Golden Boy in hopes of securing a big money trilogy fight against pound for pound champion Manny Pacquiao.
Top Rank boss Bob Arum had been mentioning the possibility of a third fight between the pair in the media recently, and Marquez's contract with Golden Boy expired in February. Also upping the ante, Marquez recently turned down a fight with Erik Morales that would have extended his contract.
Marquez announcing his departure from Golden Boy and announcing some kind of deal with rivals Top Rank then seemed inevitable.
More recently however, Marquez seems to have reversed his decision.
Marquez said of his negotiations with Golden Boy in a recent interview with Boxingscene's Jhonny Gonzalez:
"A lot has been said that if I sign with Golden Boy, the third fight with Manny Pacquiao will not happen. But I do not know if that's something that the people still want to see. Right now I'm in no hurry. I liked the offer that they gave me and I will study it."
Judging from Marquez's statements it sounds as if he has been offered both more money and possibly a number of interesting potential opponents not previously on the table.
Could it be then that after years of demanding a third fight with Pacquiao, claiming to have won the first two fights, and even having t-shirts printed, Marquez has finally given up on the idea?
Given his age and time left in the sport perhaps that isn't such a far fetched notion.
After all the Manny Pacquiao that Marquez came close to beating and 2004 and again in 2008 is now a much different fighter, as well as now fighting several weight classes heavier.
Marquez has since then settled at lightweight, and in his one showing higher than 135lbs against Floyd Mayweather looked far from his best, ultimately losing a one sided decision after recovering from being knocked down in the first round.
Also Marquez's comment that he was 'in no hurry' perhaps indicates that he still believes that a fight with Pacquiao might be a possibility in the future even if he remains with Golden Boy.
But does a new deal with Golden Boy permanently take a third Pacquiao fight off the table?
As far as Marquez is concerned, the answer is almost certainly yes.
Golden Boy and Top Rank are currently embroiled in a legal battle over the formers share in the promotional income generated by Manny Pacquiao, and could well take to the courts again in the near future over Nonito Donaire also.
Then there is Manny Pacquiao's defamation suit which names both Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer amongst those who allegedly accused him of taking performance enhancing drugs.
So on the face of things neither Top Rank boss Bob Arum nor Pacquiao himself will be in any rush to work with Golden boy again in the near future.
Still perhaps given where they have both gone since they last fought, Marquez could be better off without Pacquiao and vice versa.
Pacquiao taking on a genuine welterweight instead of a smaller opponent climbing up in weight will likely be more competitive, and Marquez perhaps moving to light welterweight to test himself against the likes of Zab Judah or Amir Khan also makes for more intriguing bouts than a one sided beating from Pacquiao would be.
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