LOS ANGELES – Training for Juan Manuel Marquez means moving boulders at the hellish altitude of the volcanic Nevado de Toluca, one of Mexico’s highest peaks, sweat seeping from every pore as his body craves oxygen.
Yet as Mexico’s finest boxer sat sweltering in a suit Monday afternoon in downtown L.A., it seemed he would rather have been heaving his way through another physical session than talking about the biggest battle of his life.
Marquez is an uncomplicated man who loves to fight but tires of the game that surrounds it. The rise to the stardust-coated superfight level, at which he will take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. on July 18, has come late in his boxing life, and the extra scrutiny doesn’t sit easily with him.
At 35, Marquez knows he is unlikely to face a contest of this magnitude again, and he is fuelled by a sense of injustice that has burned within him for five years.
Marquez will never accept that he did not beat Manny Pacquiao, who now sits proudly as boxing’s champion of champions, in both their 2004 classic (scored a draw) and their March 2008 bout (a split decision for Pacquiao).
Marquez believes the spoils, accolades and opportunities that have since come Pacquiao’s way belong to him.
Marquez’s outstanding career will nevertheless be primarily remembered for the outcome of his Pacquiao two-parter and this fight – billed as Number One/Numero Uno, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
A large section of the fight game fraternity feels the step up to a catch-weight expected to be at 144 pounds, plus Mayweather’s speed and strength, will be too much to handle.
However, Marquez identified key differences between Mayweather and Pacquiao that he says will play more into his hands this time.
“I have already got a good game plan for Mayweather, and I am building a lot of muscle,” Marquez said.
“I am working out lifting different rocks and to get my body ready for the fight because strength will be one of the keys this time and I am confident I will be able to match him.
“Floyd has a very different style and he is harder to hit than Pacquiao. But we are working on different combinations so I can land punches and break through that defense.”
The debate on the virtues of Mayweather, who retired as pound-for-pound king before returning for this match-up, and Pacquiao, the current incumbent of that mythical throne, is the hottest topic in boxing. But Marquez has no doubt which fighter is the more deserving of the top spot.
“In my opinion Floyd is No.1,” Marquez said. “He is still unbeaten and still No.1. Pacquiao has never truly beaten me, I feel that in my heart. I want to fight the best and that is why I wanted to fight Floyd.”
That small outburst was as close as Marquez got to ramping up the hype machine Monday. Even his second battle with Pacquiao didn’t generate this level of interest, and the novelty of being under the biggest microscope of his career doesn’t interest him much.
For Marquez, it is all about what takes place within the ring.
Promoter Oscar De La Hoya, the last man to give Mayweather a scare, firmly believes Marquez can inflict the first defeat of Pretty Boy’s career.
“Marquez’s advantages come into play even more against Mayweather than against Pacquiao,” De La Hoya said. “You can beat Mayweather with the jab and Marquez is going to do it.
“People talk about strength but that is not an issue. Believe it or not, Marquez hits harder and is stronger than Mayweather.
“Floyd is not that strong, he is a fast elusive fighter. It kind of evens out the playing field.”
As for Mayweather, he seems to realize that he can’t taunt his way into Marquez’s psyche the same way he did his last opponent, Ricky Hatton, or countless others.
“I am not overlooking Marquez,” Mayweather said. “He might think I am a little rusty but I won’t be taking any chances about not being ready.”
The media event outside the Los Angeles Public Library contained the usual bluster and an obligatory dose of unintelligible inanity from trainer Roger Mayweather, before a cavalcade of SUVs whisked the parties off to the airport.
Next stop: New York, for more handshakes, face-offs and promotional words, before the combatants can retreat once more into their preparatory cocoons.
For Marquez it will be back to the mountains, the rocks, the sweat and the agony, with a sense of injustice and a chance to cement a legacy providing the impetus for his back-breaking work.
Marquez vs Mayweather sealed on July 18
Marquez vs Mayweather :: Battle for Kingship
Marquez vs Mayweather Chatroom
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Oscar De La Hoya: Floyd Mayweather Jr. will duck Juan Marquez
After Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez stopped Juan Diaz on Saturday in Houston, Floyd Mayweather's name surfaced as a potential future opponent.
But Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes Marquez under Golden Boy Promotions, doesn't think the former pound-for-pound king from Grand Rapids will come out of retirement to face Marquez.
"Juan Manuel is a dangerous, dangerous fighter for Mayweather, and I don't see him taking it because he is so dangerous," De La Hoya told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. "Just like he won't take (Shane) Mosley. Absolutely, I have no doubt he is (looking for safe fights)."
De La Hoya had been trying to arrange a fight between Mayweather and Shane Mosley, who knocked out Antonio Margarito on Jan. 24, but Mayweather reportedly requested a guaranteed $20 million to step into the ring.
"If Floyd Mayweather is the best, then I want to fight the best," Marquez said of Mayweather after beating Diaz. "I want to move up (to welterweight). He is the best and I want him."
De La Hoya said he does expect Mayweather to come out of retirement at some point.
"He will be back, absolutely," De La Hoya said. "He will be back. If he wants to fight a Shane Mosley or a Juan Manuel Marquez, or any of our other fighters, they're right here waiting for him."
But Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes Marquez under Golden Boy Promotions, doesn't think the former pound-for-pound king from Grand Rapids will come out of retirement to face Marquez.
"Juan Manuel is a dangerous, dangerous fighter for Mayweather, and I don't see him taking it because he is so dangerous," De La Hoya told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. "Just like he won't take (Shane) Mosley. Absolutely, I have no doubt he is (looking for safe fights)."
De La Hoya had been trying to arrange a fight between Mayweather and Shane Mosley, who knocked out Antonio Margarito on Jan. 24, but Mayweather reportedly requested a guaranteed $20 million to step into the ring.
"If Floyd Mayweather is the best, then I want to fight the best," Marquez said of Mayweather after beating Diaz. "I want to move up (to welterweight). He is the best and I want him."
De La Hoya said he does expect Mayweather to come out of retirement at some point.
"He will be back, absolutely," De La Hoya said. "He will be back. If he wants to fight a Shane Mosley or a Juan Manuel Marquez, or any of our other fighters, they're right here waiting for him."
Marquez: "Mayweather Will Be the Same Fighter He was Before Retiring"
At yesterday’s press conference on the 80th floor of the Empire State building in New York, Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez chose his words carefully, making sure that he only said good things about his July 18th opponent undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. (39-0, 25 KOs), saying that he sees him as being the same fighter he was before suddenly retiring after defeating British light welterweight Ricky Hatton in a 10th round TKO in December 2007.
Marquez, the World Boxing Association lightweight champion, has lucked out in having Mayweather Jr. select him as his first opponent after such a long layoff from the sport.
A lot of things have changed since Mayweather last fought. Before quitting in 2007, Mayweather was thought to be the best fighter in boxing by quite a few of the fans and writers. However, since he’s been away, Mayweather had been largely forgotten by the fan base that had moved on towards other stars.
In the void that Mayweather left, little Filipino star Manny Pacquiao moved in and has seemingly claimed the number #1 pound for pound spot that Mayweather formerly held, despite the fact that Pacquiao hasn’t fought in what some boxing experts a true world class fighter since his controversial 12-round split decision defeat of Marquez last year in March 2008.
Pacquiao has stayed busy, beating a weight drained weakened 36-year-old Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008, and then a shot-looking, and defense lacking Hatton in a 2nd round blow out on May 2nd. Boxing often being more about perception than reality, Pacquiao has been crowned as the number #1 fighter in the sport despite not having fought Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley or Mayweather.
Marquez is figuring that he deserves a rematch with Pacquiao and is looking to beat Mayweather on July 18th to ensure that this forces Pacquiao’s hand for a trilogy fight between the two fighters.
Marquez isn’t seeing Mayweather as anything that he was before he retired, and that’s a good thing he is because Mayweather has a lot of things going for him in this fight – size, speed, and reach. However, Marquez has convinced himself that his lack of size won’t be a factor against Mayweather.
However, that remains to be seen, because Mayweather had an almost equal size advantage over Hatton in their December 2007 bout, and Hatton wasn’t able to do much against Mayweather, getting drilled from the outside with jabs and straight right hands through much of the fight.
When Hatton was able to work his way on the inside, he found Mayweather peppering him with fast combinations and pin point straight right hands. Hatton was no match, and stayed around until the 10th at which point Mayweather mercifully took him out with some hard combinations.
Mayweather has reportedly been training for the past couple of months for the July 18th fight, and is reportedly already at the 147 pound fighting weight.
For his part, Marquez is trying to put weight on his 135 pound frame, needing to put on enough so that he’s not bullied around by Mayweather, but not too much that it takes the speed away from Marquez.
Marquez, the World Boxing Association lightweight champion, has lucked out in having Mayweather Jr. select him as his first opponent after such a long layoff from the sport.
A lot of things have changed since Mayweather last fought. Before quitting in 2007, Mayweather was thought to be the best fighter in boxing by quite a few of the fans and writers. However, since he’s been away, Mayweather had been largely forgotten by the fan base that had moved on towards other stars.
In the void that Mayweather left, little Filipino star Manny Pacquiao moved in and has seemingly claimed the number #1 pound for pound spot that Mayweather formerly held, despite the fact that Pacquiao hasn’t fought in what some boxing experts a true world class fighter since his controversial 12-round split decision defeat of Marquez last year in March 2008.
Pacquiao has stayed busy, beating a weight drained weakened 36-year-old Oscar De La Hoya in December 2008, and then a shot-looking, and defense lacking Hatton in a 2nd round blow out on May 2nd. Boxing often being more about perception than reality, Pacquiao has been crowned as the number #1 fighter in the sport despite not having fought Miguel Cotto, Shane Mosley or Mayweather.
Marquez is figuring that he deserves a rematch with Pacquiao and is looking to beat Mayweather on July 18th to ensure that this forces Pacquiao’s hand for a trilogy fight between the two fighters.
Marquez isn’t seeing Mayweather as anything that he was before he retired, and that’s a good thing he is because Mayweather has a lot of things going for him in this fight – size, speed, and reach. However, Marquez has convinced himself that his lack of size won’t be a factor against Mayweather.
However, that remains to be seen, because Mayweather had an almost equal size advantage over Hatton in their December 2007 bout, and Hatton wasn’t able to do much against Mayweather, getting drilled from the outside with jabs and straight right hands through much of the fight.
When Hatton was able to work his way on the inside, he found Mayweather peppering him with fast combinations and pin point straight right hands. Hatton was no match, and stayed around until the 10th at which point Mayweather mercifully took him out with some hard combinations.
Mayweather has reportedly been training for the past couple of months for the July 18th fight, and is reportedly already at the 147 pound fighting weight.
For his part, Marquez is trying to put weight on his 135 pound frame, needing to put on enough so that he’s not bullied around by Mayweather, but not too much that it takes the speed away from Marquez.
Fraud Floyd Mayweather Jr.
WITH a striking second-round knockout over his former ward, British superstar Ricky “Hitman” Hatton, boxing trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. still isn’t convinced that Filipino ring icon Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao is a great boxer.
Floyd Sr. firmly believes that his son, former pound-for-pound king Floyd Jr., will defeat Pacquiao if both can figure in a mega match.
“I don’t think Manny Pacquiao is a good fighter,” said Floyd Sr., who believes his son is still the best fighter in the world, in an interview by 8CountNews.com.
Floyd Jr. will come out of retirement and face former Pacquiao nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18.
Floyd Sr., who called Roach a ‘Joke Coach’ and ‘Cockroach,’ also stands firm on his past comments that he is better than the three-time Boxing Writers Association of America Trainer of the Year.
“Do I think Freddie Roach is a good trainer? No,” he said.
On the other hand, even if Floyd Mayweather Jr. calls himself the best in the world, Roach still believes the 30-year-old General Santos native is the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter.
“So much for truth in advertising. We all know who the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter is and his name is Manny Pacquiao. They can call Mayweather-Marquez ‘No.1,’ but it smells like No.2,” said Roach.
The boxing coach thinks the upcoming war between Floyd Jr. and Marquez would turn into a lackluster fight because both fighters have similar counter-punching styles. He also feels that Floyd Jr. is a fake because he ditched a possible mega-fight with Pacquiao and rather chose a bout with Marquez and announced it before the outcome of the Pacquiao-Hatton battle.
“The fight stinks. Two counter-punchers waiting for the other one to make the first move is boring and proves nothing. If Mayweather wanted to prove he was the best, all he had to do was wait one day to see who won the Pacquiao-Hatton fight before signing to fight Marquez. You might as well rename him Fraud Mayweather Jr.,” said Roach.
Floyd Sr. firmly believes that his son, former pound-for-pound king Floyd Jr., will defeat Pacquiao if both can figure in a mega match.
“I don’t think Manny Pacquiao is a good fighter,” said Floyd Sr., who believes his son is still the best fighter in the world, in an interview by 8CountNews.com.
Floyd Jr. will come out of retirement and face former Pacquiao nemesis Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18.
Floyd Sr., who called Roach a ‘Joke Coach’ and ‘Cockroach,’ also stands firm on his past comments that he is better than the three-time Boxing Writers Association of America Trainer of the Year.
“Do I think Freddie Roach is a good trainer? No,” he said.
On the other hand, even if Floyd Mayweather Jr. calls himself the best in the world, Roach still believes the 30-year-old General Santos native is the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter.
“So much for truth in advertising. We all know who the No.1 pound-for-pound fighter is and his name is Manny Pacquiao. They can call Mayweather-Marquez ‘No.1,’ but it smells like No.2,” said Roach.
The boxing coach thinks the upcoming war between Floyd Jr. and Marquez would turn into a lackluster fight because both fighters have similar counter-punching styles. He also feels that Floyd Jr. is a fake because he ditched a possible mega-fight with Pacquiao and rather chose a bout with Marquez and announced it before the outcome of the Pacquiao-Hatton battle.
“The fight stinks. Two counter-punchers waiting for the other one to make the first move is boring and proves nothing. If Mayweather wanted to prove he was the best, all he had to do was wait one day to see who won the Pacquiao-Hatton fight before signing to fight Marquez. You might as well rename him Fraud Mayweather Jr.,” said Roach.
Juan Marquez-Floyd Mayweather Fight has a weight problem
A potential fight between Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Marquez and semi/un-retired Floyd Mayweather Jr. is being talked about for September, but weight is an issue. From ESTO via Boxing Scene:
Floyd Mayweather wants the fight to take place at the welterweight limit of 147, and "Dinamita" Marquez, still at 135, is not willing to move up that high in weight. Marquez feels that anything above 140 pounds will put him at a huge disadvantage.
Marquez is correct, it'd be too big for him. Floyd's not really a welterweight himself, but he's a bigger man than Marquez, who is really a blown up featherweight that could probably still make 126 pounds if the money was there. As great as he was against both Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, 135 seems to be stretching him just a bit thin as it is.
There's also only one reason I can think of why Mayweather can't make 140. Relatively speaking, making 147 should be a cakewalk for Floyd. 140 would simply require him to put in extra work, which might be a problem given the nagging little injuries he's had over the years, a lot of which spark up in his training.
If Marquez-Mayweather goes down the tubes (which kind of seems likely), Marquez might drag another guy out of retirement: Erik Morales. I have so little interest in watching Marquez beat the crap out of Morales that I can't even properly put it into words. Marquez is accepted as being on the level of Barrera and Morales historically at this point, or at least he should be. There's no reason for Marquez-Morales. JMM would be picking the bones of an increasingly-delusional legend, who is flat washed-up and turns 33 in September, when Marquez plans to fight again. 33 isn't old, and it certainly isn't old in today's boxing world, but Morales has years of wars that have piled up. He fought a close fight against David Diaz, but that's part of the problem. Prime Morales would've wasted Diaz with little trouble.
Bob Arum and Top Rank have been in touch concerning Edwin Valero, but Nacho Beristain says that Marquez "has no interest in fighting Valero." It makes sense. There's little money in it and Valero is dangerous.
But going back to Marquez-Mayweather: It's kind of cliche to say, but Juan Manuel called Floyd out, not the other way around. A lot of people are saying this, and I think it's sort of valid. If this fight doesn't come off, don't blame Floyd out of habit. In fact, probably don't blame anyone. It was half a pipe dream to begin with.
Floyd Mayweather wants the fight to take place at the welterweight limit of 147, and "Dinamita" Marquez, still at 135, is not willing to move up that high in weight. Marquez feels that anything above 140 pounds will put him at a huge disadvantage.
Marquez is correct, it'd be too big for him. Floyd's not really a welterweight himself, but he's a bigger man than Marquez, who is really a blown up featherweight that could probably still make 126 pounds if the money was there. As great as he was against both Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz, 135 seems to be stretching him just a bit thin as it is.
There's also only one reason I can think of why Mayweather can't make 140. Relatively speaking, making 147 should be a cakewalk for Floyd. 140 would simply require him to put in extra work, which might be a problem given the nagging little injuries he's had over the years, a lot of which spark up in his training.
If Marquez-Mayweather goes down the tubes (which kind of seems likely), Marquez might drag another guy out of retirement: Erik Morales. I have so little interest in watching Marquez beat the crap out of Morales that I can't even properly put it into words. Marquez is accepted as being on the level of Barrera and Morales historically at this point, or at least he should be. There's no reason for Marquez-Morales. JMM would be picking the bones of an increasingly-delusional legend, who is flat washed-up and turns 33 in September, when Marquez plans to fight again. 33 isn't old, and it certainly isn't old in today's boxing world, but Morales has years of wars that have piled up. He fought a close fight against David Diaz, but that's part of the problem. Prime Morales would've wasted Diaz with little trouble.
Bob Arum and Top Rank have been in touch concerning Edwin Valero, but Nacho Beristain says that Marquez "has no interest in fighting Valero." It makes sense. There's little money in it and Valero is dangerous.
But going back to Marquez-Mayweather: It's kind of cliche to say, but Juan Manuel called Floyd out, not the other way around. A lot of people are saying this, and I think it's sort of valid. If this fight doesn't come off, don't blame Floyd out of habit. In fact, probably don't blame anyone. It was half a pipe dream to begin with.
Marquez vs Mayweather sealed on July 18
Many sources close to the situation are reporting that the rumored comeback of former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather, Jr., is closer than ever, with only a couple pounds of weight being an issue.
Floyd Mayweather, Jr, (39-0, 25 KO) would return on July 18 on HBO pay-per-view against current lightweight champion Juan "Dinamita" Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KO) at a catchweight somewhere between junior welterweight (where Marquez wants it) and welterweight (where Mayweather wants it).
Marquez told BoxingScene.com he was willing to go up to 143 or 144 pounds. 142 has also been mentioned. It's been said that Mayweather might be willing to come down to 145. It would seem to me that this fight will happen. HBO already has the date reserved, they've no doubt got at least a preliminary set-up for a location in Vegas, and neither of these guys have anoyne else on their minds for the time being.
It's such a weird fight, really. I know some of you really hate the fight, and I don't love it, but I'm genuinely interested. It's a no-brainer buy for me. You only get so many Floyds and so many Marquezes. Both are great fighters, and Marquez is showing a remarkable willingness to fight upward and onward by calling out Mayweather and then actually going through with negotiations for a fight. Floyd's bigger than him (5'8" with a 72" reach to Marquez's 5'7"/67"), faster than him, more accurate than him, and frankly, just better than him. Marquez is the diehard fan's choice, though, natural talent be damned. And who knows what the layoff has done to Floyd's reflexes? Who knows if Marquez can go any higher than 135 and retain credible power?
Floyd Mayweather, Jr, (39-0, 25 KO) would return on July 18 on HBO pay-per-view against current lightweight champion Juan "Dinamita" Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KO) at a catchweight somewhere between junior welterweight (where Marquez wants it) and welterweight (where Mayweather wants it).
Marquez told BoxingScene.com he was willing to go up to 143 or 144 pounds. 142 has also been mentioned. It's been said that Mayweather might be willing to come down to 145. It would seem to me that this fight will happen. HBO already has the date reserved, they've no doubt got at least a preliminary set-up for a location in Vegas, and neither of these guys have anoyne else on their minds for the time being.
It's such a weird fight, really. I know some of you really hate the fight, and I don't love it, but I'm genuinely interested. It's a no-brainer buy for me. You only get so many Floyds and so many Marquezes. Both are great fighters, and Marquez is showing a remarkable willingness to fight upward and onward by calling out Mayweather and then actually going through with negotiations for a fight. Floyd's bigger than him (5'8" with a 72" reach to Marquez's 5'7"/67"), faster than him, more accurate than him, and frankly, just better than him. Marquez is the diehard fan's choice, though, natural talent be damned. And who knows what the layoff has done to Floyd's reflexes? Who knows if Marquez can go any higher than 135 and retain credible power?
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