PACMAN’S KRYPTONITE WINS AGAIN
Pittsburgh, PA– With his dramatic knockout over young lion Juan Diaz (34-2, 17 KOs) Saturday night, Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs) answered more questions about himself, while at the same time continuing to raise the frequency and volume of the question following the pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao: Will the Pacman give Marquez, the lightweight (135 lb.) king and #2 pound-for-pounder, a third fight? Over the last few years, Pacquiao (48-3-2, 36 KOs) has established himself as a ring legend, and if he retires without giving Marquez one more shot, his greatness cannot be challenged. His career “obituary” would remain extraordinary, but it would include an asterisk: 4 division titlist… 2006 & 2008 Ring Fighter of the Year… Defeated Mexican greats Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera 4 of 5 times… Went 1-0-1 versus Marquez*(though most experts thought Marquez won the second, if not both, fights).
WIN OVER DIAZ – MICROCOSM OF CAREER Marquez defeated Diaz with the same qualities he has displayed throughout his career – consistency and excellence. His obvious challenge coming in was whether he could handle Diaz’ dizzying, non-stop attack. How he did it may be less important than why he did it – because he is a winner. Weathering the storm of the first four rounds, Marquez adjusted by getting off of the ropes, landing perfect combinations and finding the punch that would prove Diaz’ undoing – the uppercut. As for the 25 year old Diaz, his career will likely have its ups and downs since, for him, “leaving it all in the ring” may not just be a reality every fight, but one that can happen well before the last round. Regardless, he can clearly improve if he builds on his excellent jab and ability to get inside, and he must learn to not waste energy and tighten his defense. Don’t be surprised to see him contend for the IBF title this year.
ONGOING DEBATE OF THE FIRST TWO FIGHTS
Pacquiao-Marquez I was a draw in which Marquez overcame 3 first round knockdowns to win most of the rounds; I scored it 7 rounds to 4, with 1 even, or 113-113. Pacquiao shouldn’t bear the blame for the second fight taking 4 years to happen; he had the little matter of a Morales trilogy to address. A third round knockdown by Pacquiao prevented the return match from becoming another draw, though I had it 114-113 for Marquez, or 7-5 in rounds. The two fights have clearly proven that Marquez will win more rounds and will win if he can stay on his feet, no small task against the Filipino; and that these two are not only made for each other, they have elevated the other’s games. Like Marquez’s little brother Rafael in his trilogy with Israel Vazquez, what Pac Man and Juan Manuel have learned from and about each other could serve to create a rubber match that improbably exceeds the first two classics.
WILL PACQUIAO-MARQUEZ III HAPPEN?
Like the gap between the first and second contests, it’s hard to accuse Pacquiao of running from Marquez right now, having taken on a lightweight titlist, followed by a welterweight (147 lb.) very few expected him to beat and now the best junior welterweight (140 lb.) in the world. After that, two obstacles may remain, both named “Money”; not just a question of how much the fight is worth, to be sure, but also whether Floyd Mayweather finds in Pacquiao the opponent he seeks to leave retirement for a big payday. Other than Mayweather, Pacquiao’s list of worthwhile opponents continues to shrink, as fans will not tolerate more David Diaz’s on his schedule, not after he’s shown that he can easily compete above the lightweight limit. So long as Marquez remains in Pacquiao’s rearview mirror, his stature continually growing with each monumental victory, his archrival faces a choice: he can allow rhetoric, logic and – let’s face it – nationalism to frame the debate over who’s the better man, or he can get in the ring with Marquez once more and they can settle it with their fists.
Brian Gorman
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