This week the press tour for Mayweather-Marquez began and I can tell you that I am not too excited. It seems to me like there is too much pomp and circumstance for something that many of us see as a for long conclusion.
Juan Manuel Marquez has turned into quite possible the best Mexican fighter of his generation and that is a lot to say when it that distinguished class you have Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera, two three time divisional champs.
But as the 32-year-old Morales and the 35-year-old Barrera try to regain a glory that they just might not have, Marquez, 35, has reached the zenith of his career by destroying two worthy adversaries in Juan Diaz and Joel Casamayor in a weight class that neither one of his above mentioned contemporaries have made a blip on the radar in.
Although I would love to believe that JM Marquez has enough boxing IQ and technical skill to overthrow the pound for pound king in exile off his throne, unfortunately he does not. He might have the smarts in the ring and even enough counterpunching savvy to make a dent in the armor of the five divisional champion Mayweather Jr., but he doesn’t possess the God given ability and superior physical attributes that “Money” flaunts at the boxing world.
Marquez has recently stated that he and his legendary trainer Nacho Beristain are studying the controversial first loss of Jose Luis Castillo to Mayweather Jr. back in ’02. But what the Mexico City native is that at that time, Mayweather Jr. was the one going up in weight and Castillo was the natural lightweight. Now, Marquez will be battling eight pounds over the highest weight class he has ever gained and against a fighter who has been fighting in the junior welterweight/welterweight division for the last five years.
Not everybody is a Pacquaio.
At the time of the Castillo-Mayweather Jr. title bout in 2002, Castillo was known as the toughest customer in the lightweight division, a typical come forward Mexican Macho who like his mentor, JC Chavez, took thee punches to give one left hook to the body.
Marquez has never been that type of fighter. Marquez is perhaps that best Beristain pupil of the effective counterpunching style that the Mexican trainer has ever developed. Although lately Marquez has been a tad more aggressiveness in his style which he utilized against his last seven opponents, all wins except a controversial split decision loss to Pacquaio, his aggression in no way compares to the all pressure style of the prime Castillo.
Marquez originally began his career as super bantamweight and as he has climbed the divisional ladder and put more weight on the scale, his chin has not hardened as much as the rest of him has. In his draw against Pacquaio in the featherweight division, he was dropped three times in the first round and again in the super featherweight division in their rematch. Although Pacquiao is a very hard hitter, just ask Ricky Hatton, Marquez was visibly hurt by Juan Diaz early on in their lightweight bout inFebruary. Diaz is not known as a power puncher and might be the softest hitter of the elite 135 pounders.
We all know what Mayweather brings to the table.
Power, speed, defense, technical skills and a ring savvy matched by a few.
Marquez sure has a his job cut out for him.
Let’s just hope that all the pomp and circumstance displayed during this media tour doesn’t resemble a funeral procession (not literally) come July 18th….
Photo by Dylan Wilson-Hoganphotos/GBP
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