By Allan Fox: With only one week to go before his fight on April 14th for the interim WBO light welterweight title, Juan Manuel Marquez (53-6-1, 39 KO’s) is already four pounds away from the target weight of 140lbs for his fight against Ukrainian Sergiy Fedchenko (30-1, 13 KO’s) at 144 lbs when they battle it out on HBO PPV at the New Mexico City Arena, in Mexico.
According to examiner.com, Marquez is weighing 144, and judging from the photo, Marquez looks in outstanding shape, as good as he looked in his last fight against WBO welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao last November. Marquez fought well enough to deserve a decision int hat fight, but found himself on the losing end of a 12 round majority decision in Las Vegas.
If Marquez is able to get a fourth fight against Pacquiao, he reportedly doesn’t want the fight to take place in Las Vegas because he’s twice lost close fights to Pacquiao over there.
Fedchenko, #5 WBO, is in a situation where he’s facing easily be best fighter of his career. Fedchenko will have a small advantage in that he’s accostumed to fighting at 140, whereas Marquez has fought much of his career at featherweight. However, Marquez has looked really good in moving up to lightweight and recently facing Pacquiao at welterweight. As good as Marquez looked last November, Fedchenko will be lucky if he can win even one round. This fight has lopsided decision written all over it for Marquez. I don’t see Marquez knocking Fedchenko out, because of the Ukrainian’s tendency to fight on the back foot and retreat any time his opposition comes at him.
Marquez may find this a little frustrating because he’s not used to facing guys that back up immediately when he tries to throw anything. Marquez will have to be quick in order to catch up to Fedchenko to land anything. He could wait on Fedchenko and look to counter the things he does, but a lot of the punches that Fedchenko throws are half-hearted jabs where he pokes it out and is leaning backwards when throwing it, as if sticking his feet in water and not wanting to get wet. Marquez may have to charge after Fedchenko to land.