By CARLOS ARIAS
BELL, CALIF. --- Legendary Mexican trainer Nacho Beristain has been in this position countless times. It's fight week and everybody wants to know how he thinks the fight is going to go down.
Beristain's greatest student, Juan Manuel Marquez, faces Mike Alvarado on Saturday night at The Forum on HBO.
"It's going to be a big battle," Beristain said at Azteca Boxing Club. "I know Alvarado is bigger and he's going to come in strong and ready to go. Marquez is ready to go. It's going to be a battle."
Alvarado has hinted that he might use a lot of movement similar to what Timothy Bradley was able to do to be successful against Marquez in their fight in October.
"It's just going to motivate Juan to look for Alvarado and track him down and go after him," Beristain said. "We're not worried about Alvarado moving around. You brought up Bradley and what Bradley is good at is running a lot. That's what he did in our fight. If you notice and watch the fight against Bradley, you'll notice that whenever Marquez found Bradley he was able to hurt him, so we're not worried about that. All it's going to do is Marquez is going to track Alvarado down."
Manny Pacquiao has agreed to fight the Marquez-Alvarado winner. If that turns out to be Marquez, it would mean a fifth fight against Pacquiao. Is that a fight Marquez even wants?
"What's going to happen after doesn't really count," Beristain said. "What counts right now is what Marquez has done throughout his whole career and that's pay attention to the present. Whatever is the task at hand and that's what we're worried about right now, Alvarado."
If Marquez were to lose against Alvarado, that would be two consecutive losses. Would Marquez consider retiring if that were to happen?
"Win or lose, right now, all we're thinking about Alvarado and preparing for that night against Alvarado," Beristain said. "Win or lose we think about that after the fact win or lose. After that we'll see and talk about whatever it is."
Alvarado said he plans to retire Marquez from boxing on Saturday night.
"We're not worried about that," Beristain said. "We know that he's a tough fighter and he's prepared and he's an explosive-type fighter, but he'll eat his own words at the end, because he's setting himself up. If he wants to get ready and box and move around a lot, then that's what we're ready for. But we're not worried about that."
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