One More Round With Mark Lyons: Floyd Mayweather, Klitschko/Arreola, Jean Pascal, etc...

Mark Lyons is back with his weekly take on the previous weekend's boxing action, as well as a look ahead to what's coming up.

Photo © Justin McKie

Last week we saw an all time great come back from almost a 2 year absence and look as sharp as ever. We also saw a couple of gutsy warriors possibly move towards the end of their careers. This week, we have a Heavyweight title fight that has at least generated some buzz among the hardcore Boxing fans and a talented Canadian (pictured right) who continues to fly under the radar.

My take on this past weekend’s action...

I may as well call this Eat Crow Corner. In a sport when you should expect the unexpected and will be way off base consistently, you have to admit your errors and hopefully learn from them.

Marquez came in too heavy and had no business at welterweight. That was a big spoonful.

But the difference in skills was dramatic, and I'm not sure it would have been much closer if the two fighters had been the same size. I underestimated Floyd Mayweather. I assumed there would be some ring rust, and there wasn’t even a slight hint of it. For my money, that was the best fighter in the world.

As far as what's next for the winner, while Pac/Money could be the richest fight in history, I’m really hoping to see Floyd and Shane go at it before Mosley gets on anymore in years. Sugar Shane has routinely faced the best in the world, in many instances against better judgment and he deserves the shot in the spotlight.

For Marquez, I honestly don’t see what more he has to accomplish. The man is a great fighter, but I think I saw some signs of deterioration in there, although it could be more the weight and the opponent. You can’t be sure, but if he wants to carry on I suppose Katsidis is next. That would be exciting but unnecessary in the grand scheme of things. Whatever he does, he should hold his head up high. He gave it his all against one of the greatest fighters to ever walk the earth.

The under-card didn’t really meet expectations, but they were well made matches so you can’t blame Golden Boy for this one.

Chris John put on a solid performance against what has become a predictable one from Rocky Juarez. It looks like Rocky’s career will be summed up with a lot of near misses. He is one of the good guys in the sport and has talent, but he just can’t seem to put it together against the elite. I don’t think it’s a matter of effort or desire. There is an instinctual side to the sweet science, and it doesn’t come easily to Rocky. To me, it looks like he bogs himself down trying to think too much in big moments.

Michael Katsidis picked up a nice win with a workmanlike decision over Vicente Escobedo. He was the busier guy and the fight wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t a thriller either. I just get the idea that Michael will beat most, but fall short against the absolute best at 135. I have no idea what that one judge was watching scoring the fight for Escobedo by 4 points. That was a terrible score card.

In what is always welcome, Tuesday brought some high caliber fights to the middle of the week and I felt like I was a youngster, drinking beer and watching Tuesday Night Fights on USA.

Jorge Arce is as gutsy a fighter as you will see, but his days near the top appear to be numbered. It’s rare for a slugger to maintain the level he has for so long. The pounds add up and eventually fighters like Arce are at an impasse because their body has grown to a spot where they are no longer strong enough to impose their will.

Simphiwe Nongayi? Yes I had to look up the spelling. Another South African comes out of nowhere. I’ll look forward to seeing him again.

Humberto Soto is one of the most entertaining fighters in the world. That guy just brings heat early and often. The opponent wasn’t a world beater, but those two rounds were wild and explosive.

I really think Soto/Valero has the potential to be a mini Hagler/Hearns. There is no doubt that they will trade bombs immediately in the opening round and I could see them both on the deck multiple times. Make it happen Bob – even if you have to stage it outside of the United States (which given Valero’s situation might be necessary). You have a possible FOTY type trilogy staring you in the face.

Looking ahead to this week’s action...

It’s good to see some word of mouth buzz about a Heavyweight fight.

Yes, sadly that is exactly how far the division has sunk. I don’t doubt that Arreola will bring a big effort. But the fact that effort is enough to get folks semi-excited for a Heavyweight fight is another example what heavyweight boxing has become.

I just don’t think Arreola has the talent, conditioning or experience to do much more than try his best on the way to an ugly beating. Vitali has every edge in the fight and I have to take the guy with the physical advantages who I know is in condition to go all night. I expect a steady diet of jabs and right hands until Arreola has to retire in the corner or have the ref step in after 6 or 7 one sided rounds. The division is in need of new blood and maybe Cristobal will supply that one day, but it won’t be this weekend.

Jean Pascal has given us two of the best fights in recent years and yet his fights aren’t being televised by premium networks (thankfully this one is available online at GoFightLive.tv).

Pascal doesn’t do boring. This kid is talented and even shuns some of his gifts to get into a war. He’s a television friendly fighter if I ever saw one. Silvio Branco is up there in age, so I wouldn’t expect this to make it on to HBO BAD, but it would be good for a Shobox.

A fight I’ve been thinking about...

In light of discussing Shane Mosley, I figured I’d put Shane in with John Mugabi at 154.

You think some bombs would get tossed here? The Beast is bigger and a murderous puncher, Shane is faster and has a decided edge in chin and stamina. Mugabi is a rare example of a guy getting ruined in one fight. Hagler stole his prime as John took some real heavy stuff that night.

How does this one play out? I think Mugabi is able to last the distance. But after taking some inhuman bombs, Shane grinds him down and wins a UD, 7-5 or 8-4. Maybe a late KD for Mosley.

And by the way, all of the stuff about it being out of line for Shane to talk at Floyd during Kellerman’s interview? I loved it. Promoting future fights is good for the sport.

One last comment...

I would be remiss if I didn’t give a shout out to the greatest Middle Linebacker of all time, Mr. Ray Lewis and the soon to be Super Bowl champion Baltimore Ravens!

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Live Round by Round Blog: John vs Juarez

Welcome to The Boxing Bulletin's live round by round blog coverage of the Mayweather/Marquez under-card bout between featherweights Chris John and Rocky Juarez.

We will also be doing round by round updates of Michael Katsids vs Vicente Escobedo and the main-event between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Juan Manuel Marquez. Make sure to check back in with us after 9 PM EST for our comprehensive blow by blow coverage of all the action.

Chris John 42-0-2 (126) vs Rocky Juarez 28-4-1 (126)

If you are here early, check out some our stories on tonight's main-event and next week's Vitali Klitschko vs Chris Arreola heavyweight showdown: The Case for Juan Manuel Marquez Beating Floyd Mayweather Part One & Part Two by Lee Payton Chris Arreola Has The Tools To Rise Above Expectations by Michael Nelson Has Arreola Sacrificed Enough To Beat Klitschko by Lee Payton

Refresh this page often as updates will be frequent 5:30 PM EST... Coverage will start immediately after the Michael Katsidis vs Vicente Escobedo bout ends. As the televised portion of show starts at 9:00, and this will be the 3rd bout, we estimate it should get underway around 10:30. 10:34... The Katsidis/Escobedo fight has finished. This one should be getting underway soon. 10:36... John has re-hydrated up to 135 tonight, while Juarez is up to 134. 10:37... Rocky Juarez is sporting a mohawk. 10:39... Joe Cortez with the final instructions. We're ready to go here. 10:42... John working the jab early. Rocky trying to close the gap and fire his hook. Rocky tryng to jab his way in. John fires a 1-2, with the right hand going to the body. John with a jab. Steward comments on how John very rarely goes straight back, that he's always using angles. Rocky tries to jab his way in and hook to the body. John looking very comfy defensively though when Rocky attacks. John with a jab and a slashing right hand. John with a jab, and then slips away. John with a right hand. they clinch. Juarez edging forward, and John fires a 1-2 through the guard. Rocky moving forward, John slipping away to his right. John with an uppercut that gets through. Rocky gets inside and then gets tied up and Cortez tells them to break. Rocky jabs his way in and gets tied up again. John has Rocky's arm hooked on the inside. There's the bell. 10:46... Lampley is yapping away about compubox numbers. Harold has it 1-0 for John. Lampley's compubox chatter was about Rocky not landing anything in the opening round. John with a combo, and follows up tot he body. Rocky with a right hand. Rocky trying to jab his way in there, but John slipping away to his right. John with a right hand. Now John ties Rocky up in close. Cortez tells John to stop holding. John with a jab, and a right to the body. John again hooks Rocky's arm in close. John digs a hard right hand to the body. John with a jab, and follows up with another right hand downstairs. 1:00 to go. Rocky with a hook to the body. John ties him up. John's done a fair bit of holding so far in the early going. John sticking the jab in there. Rocky just short with a right hand. John again has Rocky tied up in close. John with a 1-2. Rocky jabs his way in. John wit a decent right hand. Some action in close right before the bell goes to end round 2. 10:50... 2-0 for John on Harold's card (and I assume all 3 judges). Rocky trying to jab his way in. When he does get inside, John just ties him up. John with a jab, and is short with a right hand. John with a couple of slashing shots on the inside. John hanging around on the inside a little bit more this round. Now he gets back on the move, and slips to his right. John with a jab. John with a right. John with another jab. Rocky getting outworked here. John sticking the jab and then firing his right hand. John with a 1-2. 1:00 to go in round 3. Rocky misses with a hook. John misses with a right hand and then holds. John with a jab. John with a couple more jabs and slips away. John just walked into a hard right hand... it connected, but not quite flush. John handled it well though. 10:51... Rocky is being urged to throw his punches in combination by his corner. 10:54... Harold gave Rocky the 3rd. "He landed a heck of a right hand over the top late in the round." He did, although I don't think it was enough to overcome the rest of the round. Rocky fires the hook, and then gets tied up. Steward comments that he's not very impressed with John tonight and he'd be a little worried if he was in his corner. John sticking the jab and follows up with an uppecut. Action in the middle of the rign there. John with a nice 1-2. rocky now edges forward, but John slips away and then ties Rocky up. John with a flurry. Rocky bangs the body with a left and a right. John ties Rocky up. John with a 1-2 that's blocked. Rocky a little slow to respond and John's long gone when he throws his hook. A nice exchange, with John firing a right and Rocky responding with his own. John with a flurry. 10:58... 3-1 on Harold's card for John. John with a right hand, and there's an early clinch here in the 5th. John with a jab, and a right hand that is blocked. Rocky edging forward, but John jabs and moves away. Rocky digs with a hook to the body. 2:00 to go. Steward has changed his tune and now sounds more impressed with John's work. Rocky comes forward and digs a hook to the body. John ties Rocky up. Cortez is telling him to let Rocky go. perhaps a warning might make him think twice about all this holding. John with a right hand Rocky responds with his own. John with a 1-2. Roky with a jab. John with a right. Rocky pressing forward and gets tied up. John digs to the body. John again hooks Rocky's arm. John flicking out the jab and lands a right hand. There's the bell. 11:02... Round 6 is underway. 5-1 on Harold's card. Rocky pressing forward, and misses with a right. John on the move to his right. Now he stops and throws a 1-2. Lampley just mentioned that Mayweather is not allowing HBO to weigh him tonight. Rocky edging forward, trying to get inside, while John is moving from left to right. John with a jab and then ties Rocky up. Rocky following, as John moves away to his right. John stops and throws a 1-2 into the gloves. John with a couple of slashing shots on the inside and they clinch. John with a 1-2. Rocky tries to bang the body, while John grabs a hold of him. There's the bell. 11:06... Rocky coming forward, John moving to his right, and now to his left. Rocky trying to jab his way forward. John with a jab and a right hand. John circling to his right. He stops and throws and then moves again. Rocky follows, but when he gets close enough, John flurries and moves again. rocky really needs to set his feet to throw and even when he gets close enough, John is often beating him to the punch. John with a right hand. Harold has it 5-1 for John. John has Juarez' tied up again on the inside. Rocky keeps pushing forward, but not at all effectively. Now John stops and lands a right hand. John with a 1-2. John with a flurry. John with a right hand. Rocky with a chopping right hand. John with another flurry and then grabs Rocky and Cortez tells him to stop holding. There's the bell. 11:10... 6-1 on Harold's card. I'd say it might be 7-0. John jabbing in the middle of the ring and then moving away to his right. Then he stops and throws when Rocky gets close. John with a 1-2. John misses with a right and then misses with a follow up left. Then he ties Rocky up. John with a 1-2. John again ties Rocky up. John with a hook. John jabbing and moving. Rocky digs a hook to the body. John flurrying and Rocky bangs another shot to the body. Rocky following, getting close, only for John to flurry and move. Now John ties up Rocky. A decent exchange in the middle of the ring, where Rocky landed a hook. 11:14... John starts the round off letting his hands go. He's mixing his shots up nicely, making sure to not forget about working the body. Rocky following, but just not able to land anything big. John with a 1-2. John looking very comfortable here, firing 1-2's. Now he ties Rocky up. Rocky gets back to following, not with much success though. John with a flurry. This one is starting to get a little dull. 11:15... Harold has it 8-1 for John after 9. 11:18... John flicking the jab home and then tying up Rocky. Meanwhile Lampley and the crew are chatting about Mayweather/Marquez. John with a 1-2 and then holds. John with a right hand to the body. John with a right. Rocky looks like if he had another 20 rounds, he still wouldn't catch John with a fight changing punch. there's another clinch. Rocky witha jab. John with a jab and a right downstairs. John flicking the jab out, and then holds Rocky. Cortez telling him to let Rocky go. how about a warning Joe? That might help a litle more than endlessly telling John not to hold. Rocky with a hook. John with a flurry and then grabs Rocky again. Rocky misses with a hook. There's the bell. 11:22... 9-1 on Harold's card. John with a 1-2. John with a flurry. John's getting a little sloppy with his shots and he's sometimes hanging around a little bit on the inside. John with a flurry. Rocky with a little hook. John holds again. John with some shots on the inside. Rocky fires back. John with a 1-2 and then holds. John flurrying, and Rocky responds with a decent right hand, and John grabs him again. John looking a little tired here. not that the HBO crew are noticing, as they are rambling on about Mayweather/Marquez. Max now mentions that Juarez is landing some decent shots upstairs. John with a 1-2 and then holds. Lampley comments that John is looking a little weary. They both just stepped on each other's feet and Juarez stumbled a bit. There's the bell. 11:27... John's left eye doesn't look good. It's swollen quie badly. 9-2 on Harold's card. Rocky has 3 mins to do something big. John with a 1-2. Rocky with a jab. John comes forward, throws a jab and then misses over the top with a right hand. John with a flurry. 2:00 to go. John with a 1-2. John with a jab. John flurries. Rocky not showing any real urgency here... probably tired as well. John ties him up. 1:30. John now on the move. he stops and flurries and grabs Rocky. John again holds on. 1:00 to go. John with a flurry and then again ties Rocky up. Both fighters looking tired here. John again holding. Rocky lands a big left hook! That hurt John. John was wobbled! But John throws back and ties Rocky up and walks Rocky back. Rocky now lands a hard right hand. Rocky just doens't have the energy though. John is hurt, but throwing back. Rocky trying to land one more big shot, but he's going to run out of time. That's it. The bell seemed to go 2 or 3 seconds before the HBO clock ran out. 11:28... It was a left hook on the inside that hurt John. If Rocky lands that shot 30 seconds earlier, perhaps he's got enough time to make it pay off. Harold has it 9-3. 11:29... Michael Buffer with the scores... 114-113, 119-109 and 117-111 all for Chris John. 11:30... 114-113? Was there a 2 point round in there? Interesting. I think the 9-3 card was closest to reality. 11:31... Alright, now let's get to the main-event between Mayweather and Marquez.

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The Boxing Bulletin Pick'em Game: Week 3

The Boxing Bulletin's Pick'em game is back for week 3.

If you played last week, scroll down to the bottom for the standings. If you missed the opening two weeks, that's not a problem, as you can join right in this week.

Our game is a combination of picking the winners straight-up and beating the odds. If you're ready to match your prognostication skills against other boxing fans, then let's get started...

How to play:

The game is strictly for fun, and entry is free. The deadline to enter this week is Thursday night at 11 PM EST. We'll have the results tabulated and posted with Monday's Week 4 game sheet (please check this post's comments for early results, as we'll try getting them up there by Sunday).

Pick The Winners

This part's easy - 2 points for each correct answer.

Beat The Odds

This is where it gets a little more involved, as you will be risking points to gain points. You will also have the option of choosing 1 fight to risk double points and 1 fight to risk triple points. We have made a slight redesign to this week's game sheet to simplify the process for selecting doubles and triples.

Standings

We will keep standings for the full year, although each game will only last for 1 month. At the end of the month standings will be reset and a new game will begin.

We've got a few details below on the fights in play this week, but if you're ready to get started, here's the Week 3 game sheet.

This Week's Line-up - clicking on the fighter's name will open up their boxrec page September 18 York Hall, Bethnal Green, London, United Kingdom (Television - Sky) Barry Morrison (17-3) vs Lenny Daws (19-1-1) - 12 rounds - vacant British light-welterweight title While Morrison won the previous meeting between these two British 140 pound fighters - handing Daws his only career defeat - he's coming into Friday's contest on relatively short notice, having signed on last week to replace vacating champ Ajose Olusegun. September 19 Jahnsportforum, Neubrandenburg, Germany Sebastian Sylvester (31-3) vs Giovanni Lorenzo (27-1) - 12 rounds - vacant IBF middleweight title Sylvester came up well short in his previous bid for a major belt against Felix Sturm last November, but will be facing a far less polished opponent this time in Lorenzo. The Dominican born New York based fighter is coming off a spectacular KO win over Dionisio Miranda, but looked lost against an ancient Raul Marquez in his only other bout against decent opposition. MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada (Television: HBO PPV) Floyd Mayweather (39-0) vs Juan Manuel Marquez (50-4-1) - 12 rounds Chris John (42-0-2) vs Rocky Juarez (28-4-1) - 12 rounds - WBA super-featherweight title Michael Katsidis (25-2) vs Vicente Escobedo (21-1) - 12 rounds - interim WBO lightweight title While Floyd will enter as a solid favorite, our editor Lee Payton believes Marquez has a real shot. Before you make your selection, check out Lee's two part story... The Case for Marquez Beating Mayweather Part One & Part Two. The John/Juarez rematch was originally supposed to happen on June 27, only for John to pull out a week before the scheduled date with an illness. The Indonesian junior-featherweight has had health issues in the past, so let's hope he's 100% and ready to go this time. Here's Michael Nelson's preview for the originally scheduled rematch: Chris John vs Rocky Juarez II Preview Katsidis has already been in a few tough scraps, and has proven himself to be capable of hanging with world class opposition. Escobedo's relatively untested, but packs a punch. Should be a fun 135 pound brawl. If you're ready to play, click here for the week 3 game sheet.

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Chris John vs Rocky Juarez II Preview

Michael Nelson previews the June 27th featherweight rematch between Indonesia's Chris John and Houston's Rocky Juarez.

Photo © Tim Barry / timbarry.wetpaint.com

February 28th was one of the more memorable nights of boxing in recent years.

Preceding the leading fight of the year candidate between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz, Rocky Juarez and Chris John fought a heated, closely contested bout that featured wild swings in momentum. After a tense first couple of rounds, John took control before a battered Juarez came roaring back with a late round rally. Both men were commended for their testicular fortitude and tenacity.

But despite fighting to a draw, Chris John will come into the ring as the definitive betting favorite June 27th.

There's some sense to it. For starters, while the draw verdict was more than reasonable, you can just as easily make the case that John won seven or eight rounds if you were to give him the close ones. You can't make such a case the other way around. The middle rounds were dominant ones for the well-schooled Indonesian.

Secondly, it's well known that Chris John was fighting a flu virus in the days leading up to the bout. How close he was to full strength on fight night is unknown, and you have to wonder if he would have faltered down the final stretch if the tail end of his training camp was a healthy one. Without the illness, would John had continued his mid-round success?

Moreover, Juarez' eyes have become increasingly susceptible to swelling and laceration as he enters the 8th year of his professional career. Chris left him with a badly swollen and cut left eye along with a bruised right eye; it's fair to assume that Rocky's going to have to deal with compromised vision at some point again next Saturday. Issues such as double vision is an impediment that Rocky says was fixed through surgery following his loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2007. But I suspect damage around the eyes will continue to be an obstacle for the remainder of Juarez' career.

For the same reasons the draw was a sensible verdict (despite the misleading CompuBox numbers) though, Rocky has a great chance at snatching his elusive first world title in the rematch. He's a far more resolute puncher than John. And while John is largely a head-hunter, Juarez works the body well; he landed quite a few left hooks to the liver that made Chris back up and take a deep breath. Problem is, there were too many times when John was allowed to reset himself and take the play away from Juarez with two or three eye catching blows in between or around Juarez's guard. Rocky had his best success when punching in combination, particularly following the left hook to the body with either a right hand or another left hook up top. Concentrating on putting the exclamation mark on a damaging body blow with something hard to the chin may eventually get him the stoppage he needs to ensure victory over his flashier opponent.

Don't be surprised if Chris John took note of Barrera's uneventful rematch against Juarez in September of 2006. Barrera learned his lesson from the violent first encounter by making sure to grab and spin, or simply clinch, every time the shorter man got inside. John did this to great effect in spots four months ago, but to the chagrin of trainer Craig Christian, there were times he labored inside and let Rocky go to work. Expect a more concerted effort in using his advantages in height, reach, and foot speed to keep Rocky on the outside and limit the inside battles as much as possible.

Whatever the case, Juarez knows that his future as a prizefighter will be cloudy if he suffers a loss. This may be his last chance at his day in the sun. We should see Rocky follow up his most determined effort to date with another gutsy performance. Likewise, Chris John should be applauded for returning to the states to stamp his claim on the division. He could have easily taken the safer, and perhaps more profitable, route by defending his title against non-descript opponents in his home country. The man's a true fighter. He'll be coming to Los Angeles to win and win convincingly.

Here's hoping for another spectacular night.

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Topic of the Week: Chris John

This past Saturday night, Indonesian featherweight Chris John made his US debut, with an exciting 12 round draw against perennial contender Rocky Juarez.

Rather than argue the merits of the decision (we might save that debate for an edition of Score it! down the road), The Boxing Bulletin Panel offers up our opinions on John's performance and what fights we would like to see him take next.

What did you think of Chris John's American debut? "Considering he had been sick with the flu the previous week, Chris John put up a great fight against Rocky Juarez. With a good jab to go along with good footwork, stamina, and chin, he's a handful for anyone. He also showed championship level heart and toughness to rally in the second half of the final round (though I still scored that round for Juarez)." - Michael Nelson "Chris John did enough to retain his title, but just barely. Whether it was due to a lingering flu effect or because he and Juarez are at the same level I'm not quite sure. Though skilled, he lacks heavy hands and was unable to discourage Juarez. I felt that by the end, it was Juarez's fight to take and as usual he came up short. Overall, I was more impressed by Juarez, but perhaps John was truly affected by the illness and I certainly wouldn't mind seeing this skilled boxer again, so long as he's matched competitively." - Jeff Pryor "In standing up to a late-round charge by Rocky Juarez to keep his title belt, Chris John showed that he's not just a protected fighter that needs to stay at home to succeed. Rocky is sort of limited, but one thing he does well is punch hard, and John took the incoming well. He's not only quite skilled, but he seems like a tough guy with good stamina. Most people expected a rather dull affair, but were instead treated to a high level fight between two pros, and I think we can expect more of the same if John is matched correctly. Considering the landscape at 126 lbs, I think he should be considered the top guy at the weight, if he's not already." - Lee Payton "I was expecting John to have a slightly easier time with Juarez, but as has already been mentioned, it's hard to know how much his illness hampered his performance. That said, I thought he showed good overall skills, an excellent chin and some real toughness in taking some clean hard shots and firing right back, especially late in the fight when he was looking a little tired." - Andrew Fruman

Who would you like to see Chris John fight next? "A rematch against Rocky would be ideal, and I'd favor him to win if he came in at full strength. Otherwise, John against Mario Santiago is a good fight to put on Boxing After Dark. If he stays at Featherweight for a minute, Yuriorkis Gamboa would be something to look at for 2010." - Michael Nelson "John's career thus far resembles Joe Calzaghe's, having nabbed a title belt and almost exclusively defending it in his home country for six years. Like Calzaghe, he has remained at featherweight long enough, where by all the fighters who were, perhaps, better than him have moved on to other divisions, or been beaten by others, and now he is head of the class by default, without facing too many real challenges. Featherweight is a poor division right now; I'd like to see him move up to face someone like Jorge Linares or Robert Guerrero, and truly test that undefeated record." - Jeff Pryor "Featherweight isn't exactly loaded. A fight with Yuriorkis Gamboa could possibly be fun, and could turn into a valuable lesson for the youngster. It would interesting to see how Gamboa's physical talent matches up with John's experience and professionalism. More than likely though, the champ heads back to Asia to defend his crown." - Lee Payton "Anytime a great fight ends in a draw, a rematch is a good idea, so let's see another Juarez bout. If John isn't having too much trouble making weight and is planning on staying at 126, then an eventual showdown with Gamboa is a must." - Andrew Fruman

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Marquez Stops Diaz in Thrilling Bout

By Lee Payton

In a battle that will be talked about for some time, the great Juan Manuel Marquez left no doubt who the best lightweight in the world is by stopping Juan Diaz at 2:40 of the 9th round.

The challenger's youthful energy won him the first half, but it was the Champion's class and heart that decided things in the end. If you didn't think he had done enough to warrant a Hall Of Fame induction before, this performance left you with no choice.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Diaz pushed a hard pace upon the older fighter's legs from the first bell, often finding the target with snappy shots that forced Marquez to the ropes. Of course, Marquez tried to match the bursts of punches headed his way with his own sharp counter attacks, but he did seem a little uncomfortable under the intense early heat.

By the 6th round, both men were feeling the effects of the intense combat, and it was the more experienced fighter who found the extra gear. He matched the Baby Bull's overwhelming output, and stood up the explosions that came his way, as he found the range with a dazzling array of counters thrown in combination to the head and body.

The hometown kid's sturdy foundation cracked for the first time, in the 8th. After suffering a cut above the right eye earlier in the round, a sneaky left hook caught him on the jaw and made his back leg lift awkwardly off the canvas. The consummate professional, Marquez didn't try to force the finish. He knew the damage he had just caused wasn't going anywhere.

Diaz showed his own championship heart in trying to fight through a charging opponent and a bad eye, but his grit and enthusiasm weren't enough on this night. He was toppled onto his head by a combination of power shots out of a clinch, and was put down again by another precise assault, that was set up by some smart work to the body. The finishing touches dropped the courageous youngster like he'd been shot and the ref waved the fight off without a count.

While I'm not surprised Marquez was victorious, the way he did it was a bit of a shock. Most thought this fight had 12 rounds written all over it.

Two questions Juan Manuel Marquez has forced us to ask:

Is he better than Morales and Barrera?

Is he the real pound-for-pound king of boxing?

In the co-feature, Indonesian title holder, Chris John, retained his belt with a draw over an inspired Rocky Juarez. It was a very good, professional contest that pitted John's quickness and activity against Juarez' pressure and power.

While his skills were handy, it might have been John's toughness that allowed him to walk away with his belt against a hard charging Juarez who came on very strong down the stretch. And even though Juarez failed to win that elusive strap, he fought with the type of emotion that has been missing during some of his past efforts.

The draw verdict was perhaps a little generous to Juarez, the hometown fighter, although it was a closely contested battle and the decision, at least to these eyes was hardly outrageous.

e-mail Lee Payton Read more!