Lopez expects late KO against Marquez

Juan Manuel Lopez isn’t normally in the prediction business. But the undefeated WBO featherweight champion said his 12-round fight with Rafael Marquez on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden won’t be a short night.

“I expect the fight to end in a knockout, but I don’t expect it to end early,” Lopez said. “I think it will be a long fight, and I will end it with a knockout, but late.”

Lopez (29-0, 26 knockouts) has boxed only nine rounds in the past 13 months. But he said he has been training for the fight to go the distance and if Marquez thinks he can outlast him, he’s mistaken.

“They think I’m going to get tired and I’m not going to be able to fight 12 rounds at the same pace like he will,” Lopez said. “But I prepare myself well for 12 rounds every time out. I try to be in the best shape possible.”

Lopez, 27, said he expects the 35-year-old Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs) to come out fast and he is not underestimating him.

“We are very aware of what he can do,” Lopez said. “He’s a tremendous fighter and has a lot of skills. I know just how dangerous he is; that’s why I have to box intelligent.”

Lopez said he’ll be ready for anything.

“If I need to box, I’ll box. If I need to fight, I’ll fight,” he said. “I think he’s going to be very aggressive, and I think we both have the power to knock each other out. As long as it lasts, it’s going to be a war.”

■ THE PACQUIAO WAY — Manny Pacquiao is the subject of the cover story for the November issue of American Airlines’ in-flight magazine. The nine-page profile in “American Way” comes out Monday, and 3.8 million copies were printed.

“This is unprecedented,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said. “This is the first time to my knowledge that a boxer has been on the cover of an airline magazine. And with 3.8 million copies, you could never buy that kind of exposure.”

Pacquiao, a seven-time world champion who will fight Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 in Arlington, Texas, also will be featured in a “60 Minutes” segment Nov. 7 on CBS. He is scheduled to appear Monday on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on ABC.

■ MARKETING MANNY — It might not be as elaborate as some of the stores NFL and Major League Baseball teams have at their facilities, but Pacquiao has opened a merchandise store in the same Hollywood, Calif., strip mall as the gym where he is training.

The Pacquiao “Team Store” is selling T-shirts, hats, boxing gloves, posters and stickers. It will move from Los Angeles to Dallas on Nov. 8 for fight week.

■ JUGGLING ACT — While trainer Freddie Roach focuses on getting Pacquiao ready for Margarito, he hasn’t forgotten about another of his stars — WBA junior welterweight champion Amir Khan, who will defend his title against Marcos Maidana on Dec. 11 at Mandalay Bay.

“Amir has been working with Manny, and I’ve been watching a lot of tape on Maidana,” Roach said. “Having Amir in Manny’s camp not only gets Manny ready, it’s getting Amir in shape for Maidana. He and Manny push each other in training.”

Roach said with Khan’s fight six weeks away, they have plenty of time to finalize a game plan.

“Trust me, Amir will be ready,” Roach said. “We’ve already begun, and once we get by Nov. 13, there’ll be four weeks for us to focus on Maidana. I’m not worried, and neither is Amir.”

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.