Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Timothy Bradley: Who wins?

By Boxing News - 10/12/2013 - Comments

DSC_6332By Mark Havey: Promotional spin Doctors could easily have billed this fight as the ‘Battle of the Conquerors’. Both Juan Manuel Marquez and WBO welterweight champion Tim Bradley have something in common, they beat Manny Pacquiao. it would be more accurate to say they both have wins against Pacquiao on their record.

Juan Manuel Marquez had a point to prove after failing to beat Manny Pacquiao in 3 fights. Debates are always fierce between fans in regards to the winner of the first 3 battles. All were good, but all were close. The 4th fight was entirely different. Both men were clearly going for the knockout and taking chances. In the 6th round Marquez landed a crushing counter, finally knocking out his nemesis in brutal fashion. If you thought that we finally had a decisive winner after four fights, you thought wrong. Fans accused Marquez of using illegal methods to gain his new found bulk and power. But the ending was still clear, Juan Manuel Marquez knocked out Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao vs Bradley had a different ending yet similar controversy. The fight went the distance and the judges awarded the fight to Timothy Bradley. But let’s be frank, the only people that thought Bradley won were those that are partially sighted, didn’t watch the fight, or were judges for the fight. It wasn’t even close. Bradley was outclassed by the Filipino icon and soon found the world of boxing had turned against him. He was as much a victim as Pacquiao.

Tonight Marquez and Bradley will face off. Bradley has everything to gain, whilst Marquez has everything to lose. Unless Marquez knocks out Floyd Mayweather, he can’t top what he has already done. Yet this fight is a genuine fight. There isn’t a handpicked opponent involved. Both are great fighters and boxing needs fights like this.

It is hard to pick a winner. I don’t want to go down the road of looking at records as Marquez has been fighting the top echelon of boxing since 1999. I also don’t want to look at common opponents, namely Pacquiao, because styles make fights. But based on their last fights I believe Juan Manuel Marquez will win tonight. I think that the media storm that surrounded Bradley after he was gifted a win against Pacman took something from him. He won’t fight smart, he will fight to silence people.



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