Filipino fight fans have a special interest in the lightweight title defense of Mexican legend Juan Manuel Marquez ( 50-5-1, 37 KO’s) and Juan :”Baby Bull” Diaz (35-3, 17 KO’s) in a rematch of their 2009 “Fight of the Year” at the Mandalay Bay RBesort H otel and Casino on Sunday, Manila Time in a fight card to be telecast by Solar Sports.
Marquez, even while preparing for the rematch with Diaz has spoken about how much he wants a third fight with pound-for-pound king and “Fighter of the Decade” Manny Pacquiao and any slim chance of his wish being granted will depend on his performance against Diaz.
Both Marquez and Diaz are hoping to rebound from defeats where Diaz lost a decision to Paulie Malignaggi while Marquez was dropped in the second round en route to a bad beating at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr last September at the MGM Grand.
Marquez had to move up to fight Mayweather from 135 to 147 and then had to deal with Mayweather who came in two pounds over the limit, refused to shed off the excess weight and insread paid Marquez a fine of $600,000. On fight night Marquez claimed Mayweather stepped into the ring 15 pounds heavier. In that sense Marquez loss against a much bigger man is understandable.
Trouble is Pacquiao at 147 is decidedly a bigger puncher than Mayweather as well as being quicker although to his credit Marquez gave Pacquiao a hard time in their two previous fights in which the Mexican sakvaged a d raw after being dropped three times in round one and lost a split decision after being dropped once in their rematch with Marquez insisting he won both fights but didn’t get the decision.
At one point Pacquiao’s trainer Freddie Roach had indicated he would welcome a third Marquez fight so Pacquiao could shut him up once and for all but any chance of that even being considered by Pacquiao and Top Rank promoter Bob Arum will depend on how Marquez performs on Sunday.
Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya believes things are different now compared to the first meeting between Marquez and D iaz. He said “It is 2010, Juan Diaz is a different fighter and Juan Manuel Marquez is a different fighter. They have more experience under the belts, more training under their belts. It is going to be an explosive fight.”
For Diaz it’s a must-win fight because a loss would push him virtually out of the lightweight picture.After winning hi s first 33 bouts Diaz has dropped three of his last five, with one of those losses being a knockout at the hands of Marquez.
Diaz told a final pre-fight press conference “The last two years of my boxing career have been a roller coaster ride, starting with the Nate Campbell fight which was my first loss, then I beat Michael Katsidis, and then lost to Juan Manuel Marquez, then beat Paulie Malinaggi and then lost to him. It just makes sense that I am going to win this fight and I am going to keep winning from now on.”
Diaz likens the second encounter to an all action fight that he attended a decade ago.
“I came to Mandalay Bay 10 years ago for Vargas vs. Trinidad and I was out enjoying a great fight. Now I am here, and I am the main event. I am very excited and thankful to be here for this fight. I know it is a big and important fight and I am excited.”
Ten years older than Diaz at 36 Marquez won’t have many opportunities left if he should lose to Diaz. He said “Everyone knows Juan Diaz is a great fighter and I have prepared myself very hard for this fight. When people say ‘Why Juan Diaz again?’ I always want to make the biggest fights and here you have two great fighters.”
By:Ronnie Nathanielsz
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