By Gerardo Granados: The fight between Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez is almost a done deal. Marquez has already signed the contract and agreed to a 144 pound catchweight. A date has been set, November 12th, but Marquez will be facing Diaz first in July. If Diaz pulls off an upset or injures Marquez, then he would become another candidate for the upset of the year and will ruin the plans for the third bout between Marquez and Pacquiao.
Marquez vs. Diaz
Marquez-Diaz brought in between 150,000 and 200,000 PPV buys
By Chris Williams: Last Saturday’s lightweight bout between WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz brought in between 150,000 and 200,000 pay per view buys, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN. Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer says “I think it has an opportunity to reach 200,000.”
Student gets a failing grade in the ring, the future for Juan Diaz?
By Kirk Jackson: Juan Diaz was outclassed in his rematch with Juan Manual Marquez last Saturday. It was apparent from the opening bell who was the student, and who was the teacher, as Marquez built up a huge lead and Diaz looked confused through out the majority of the fight. Perhaps a strategy mishap, a mental relapse, or both, Diaz looked like a fighter without that fire he once had earlier in his career. It also didn’t help Marquez did not show too many ill effects of his age or the one year lay off he had, even after suffering a defeat last year from the hands of Floyd Mayweather. Although not the physically prime fighter he once was, Marquez showed he still has the instincts, intelligence, technique and skill to control a fight. He did exactly that, controlling a large portion of the fight, snatching most of the early and middle rounds. To Diaz’s credit, he did put on a strong showing the last 3 rounds of the fight, but by that time it was too late.
Marquez deserves a third shot against Pacquiao, but will likely have to settle for Khan
By Chris Williams: There’s little question that WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) deserves a third fight against Manny Pacquiao, but unfortunately because Marquez doesn’t fight for Top Rank and Bob Arum hasn’t been particularly interested in matching Pacquiao back up with Marquez, boxing fans will likely have to settle for watching Marquez chase WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan around the ring for 12 round this December. Compared to the unlicensed Antonio Margarito, Marquez is much more deserving of a fight against Pacquiao, but that’s meaningless because Arum doesn’t seem at all interested in putting Pacquiao back in with Marquez.
Marquez fails to mention Khan’s name after Saturday’s win over Diaz
By Jason Kim: When naming fighters that he’d like to fight next, WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) failed to mention that of WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan (23-1, 17 KO’s), who flew all the way over from the UK just to scout Marquez, and is hoping to get a fight against the aging star in December. Marquez, however, failed to mention Khan after the fight, saying “A trilogy with [Manny] Pacquiao is what I want and it should happen. It is my number #1 priority. I will be ready to fight again in November and hopefully Pacquiao takes the fight with me.” Khan will be ready to fight again in December, and he really needs a fighter like Marquez to step in the ring with him so that Khan can try and get a huge boost up in terms of becoming well known to American audiences.
Marquez-Diaz Undercard: Upset for Jacobs while Guerrero and Linares cruise to victories
By Peter Wells: Not everything last night went as planned, as expected Robert Guerrero dominated the 38-year-old Joel Casamayor and took an easy decision apart from his last round scare, and Linares did enough to make Rocky Juarez’s late surge all for nothing. But it was Daniel Jacobs another promising star at Golden Boy Promotions (GBP), who slipped up on his big night.
Marquez-Diaz: Marquez looks as good as ever
By Peter Wells: Last night Juan Manuel Marquez looked as good as ever in outscoring Juan Diaz in there much anticipated rematch. The younger Juan was brave and fought to the very end but by changing his tactics he preventing himself from taking a beating, just that Marquez was too slick and easily outboxed the Texan. It wasn’t an easy fight by a long stretch and the one judges score of 118-110 did the fight no favours, I scored it 116-112, giving Diaz the 2nd and last 3 rounds. The other judges scored it 116-112 and 117-111.
Marquez says he wants to move up to light welterweight to try and win another title
By Jason Kim: Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) looked as good as ever on Saturday night, beating challenger Juan Diaz (35-4, 17 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Marquez, 36, hurt Diaz a number of times in the fight and was in command the entire way through. Diaz appeared to win only round – the 11th – and spent much of the fight throwing jabs and moving a lot. After the fight, Marquez said “One of the challenges is to move up to 140 [light welterweight] and become the first Mexican fighter in boxing history to win four titles in four divisions.” If Marquez plans on making good on that, he’ll have some tough fighters to pick from.
The future of Juan Manuel Marquez
By Kirk Jackson: The Warrior from Mexico City, Mexico, Juan ‘Dinamita’ Marquez, was victorious in his rematch against Juan ‘The Baby Bull’ Diaz retaining his status as Lightweight Champion of the World. Although this fight failed to match the hype and excitement of their first fight, it was still a great fight, just with a different flow to how the bout turned out.
At times he looked his age 36, with punches penetrating his defense, and towards the latter stages of the fight looked completely winded. But also at times, he showed the brilliance that has captivated many fans and purist alike, landing accurate 3 and 4 punch combinations, showing the skill, precision and power to hurt Diaz on many occasions through out the fight. His reflexes have slowed, his stamina isn’t quite where it used to be, he cuts and bruises a lot easier now at this stage of his career, but he still has the skill and ring savvy to overcome these hurdles in the ring.
Marquez decisions Diaz
By Chris Williams: WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO’s) defeated former IBF/WBA/WBC lightweight champion Juan Diaz (35-4, 17 KO’s) by a 12 round unanimous decision in their rematch on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada. The final judges’ scores were 117-111, 116-112 and 118-110. Marquez, 36, was able to take advantage of Diaz, who opted to fight tentatively for the first nine rounds of the fight. However, Marquez tired out in the last two rounds, giving Diaz rounds 11th and 12th.