Valero Wants Marquez At Lightweight

secondsout.com

Edwin Valero, 24-0-(24), is preparing himself for his next bout on April 4, when he faces the experienced Antonio Pitalúa, 46-3-0-(40), in Austin Texas. But when he heard that new WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez wants to fight Floyd Mayweather Jnr, Valero responded by saying: “I understand that Marquez is afraid that I will become the new world champion at lightweight and to accept a challenge to fight me as champion” read more

Filed under: edwin valero, Floyd Mayweather, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, Pacman vs. Hitman, Pacquiao vs. Hatton, Ricky Hatton

Pacquiao eyes third Marquez meeting

setanta.com

Pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao has told setanta.com that he hopes to fight Juan Manuel Márquez a third time to end any debate on which of the duo comes out on top.

Pacquiao, who will fight Ricky Hatton for his IBO junior welterweight title in May, has faced Marquez twice in the past, the first being declared a controversial draw while the Filipino won the second on an equally contentious split decision. read more

Filed under: Battle of East and West, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton

TSS Shouts: Pacquiao/Marquez III, Please

By Ron Borges

If there is a technically more proficient boxer in the world than Juan Manuel Marquez no one has ever seen him. This is a point Marquez made clear once again last weekend when he methodically dismantled a good fighter named Juan Diaz round by painful round. read more

Filed under: Floyd Mayweather, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton, Ricky Hatton

MORE MERCHANT: Larry On JMM, Floyd, Oscar

By Michael Woods

He is not the sort who when he is not assigned to an event, chooses to steer clear of all things fistic. Larry Merchant didn’t work the Juan Manuel Marquez/Juan Diaz HBO Championship Boxing card in Texas on Saturday, but he did watch that thriller, and the entertaining co-feature as well. TSS reached out to one of the fight game’s top pound for pound analysts, poet laureate Larry Merchant, to get his take on what went down.

Merchant was impressed by JMM’s work against Diaz, and like all of us wondered early in the fight if the 35-year-old had gone graybeard overnight, and wouldn’t be able to keep up with the young buck Diaz, ten years his junior. read more

Filed under: Floyd Mayweather, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Larry Merchant, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton

Pacquiao-Hatton will be hard put to match Marquez-Diaz in fight-of-year sweepstakes

by Colin Seymour

The way Juan Manuel Marquez overcame Juan Diaz amid all kinds of adversity Saturday in their lightweight showdown has to make that the best candidate in sight for fight of the year.

Ricky Hatton has never been in a fight as good as Marquez-Diaz, and that includes his ugly signature win over Kostya Tszyu in 2005. He’ll be grabbing and gouging Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in a manner, or lack thereof, that will preclude that fight’s rising to the aesthetic levels of Marquez-Diaz. read more

Filed under: Battle of East and West, Floyd Mayweather, Freddie Roach, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton

MARQUEZ CALLS ON MAYWEATHER TO LURE PACQUIAO

By Maloney L. Samaco

Juan Manuel Marquez stopped IBO champion and former WBA, IBF and WBO lightweight champion Juan Diaz by knockout.
After the fight Marquez expressed interest in fighting Floyd Mayweather, Jr. “If Floyd Mayweather is the best, then I want to fight the best,” Marquez said of the retired boxer. “I want to move up. He is the best and I want him.”

Diaz was aggressive and was in control early in the bout as the two warriors exchanged punches rapidly. There were no lulls in action as they threw hard and quick fists at each other. read more

Filed under: Battle of East and West, Floyd Mayweather, Freddie Roach, HBO, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, Manny Pacquiao, Ricky Hatton

Juan Manuel Marquez looks past Pacquiao for Mayweather

By Robert Cassidy

Juan Manuel Marquez has essentially said, “Who needs Manny Pacquiao?’

While Marquez and Pacquiao have waged a pair of compelling fights, Pac Man has moved on to bigger and better things. And while pundits try to line up Pacquiao’s fight schedule, few have been calling for a third match with Marquez.

That may change now.

On Saturday night, Marquez gave away 10 years to Juan Diaz and still flattened him in his hometown of Houston. It was an exciting fight, one that it seemed the 25-year-old Diaz would win. He carried the early rounds with pressure and combination punching. But Marquez, 35 and now a three-division champ, weathered the early attack to score a dramatic ninth-round knockout. It was a thrilling finish to a fight with “Fight of the Year,” potential.

Marquez has fought Pac Man twice, losing a split decision in March of 2008 and holding the Filippino to a draw in May of 2004. He called for an immediate rematch after their bout last year, but Pac Man moved up and shocked Oscar De La Hoya. Pac Man is next scheduled to fight Ricky Hatton in May and many experts are calling for him to fight Miguel Cotto in November. Both are high-profile names — which translates into big money — but they may not be as deservering a date with Manny.

Marquez was clearly frustrated with his inability to get a third fight with Pacquiao. And though a third JMM-Pac Man fight may come in time, immediately after he disposed of Diaz, Marquez looked in another direction. He called for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to come out of retirement and fight. read more

Filed under: David Diaz, joel casamayor, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, Manny Pacquiao, Oscar de la Hoya, Ricky Hatton

Mastery never gets old: Marquez starches Diaz in nine

by Bart Barry

HOUSTON – Wow. Just when he had become too old, too spent and too easily imposed upon, Mexico City’s Juan Manuel Marquez summoned the remains of his exceptional class, in defiance of his empty legs, and stopped Houstonian Juan Diaz in one of the most unexpected knockouts in years.

Unexpected because of the way the fight started Saturday, not because of who Marquez is. Before the match, experts all agreed that Marquez’s skills were unmatched. But he looked every bit of his 35 years early – while Diaz looked younger than 25. And then, in an instant, Marquez had cut Diaz, staggered him, dropped him and changed the fight altogether. read more

Filed under: Floyd Mayweather, joel casamayor, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao

Juan Manuel Marquez knocks out Juan Diaz

By Lance Pugmire

Juan Manuel Marquez claimed two vacant world lightweight belts tonight by rallying to knock out Texas’ Juan Diaz at Houston’s Toyota Center, according to Internet reports.

Marquez had wanted a quick rematch with Manny Pacquiao after their narrow March 2008 decision in a super-featherweight battle. read more

Filed under: Floyd Mayweather, joel casamayor, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao

Marquez proves he’s the man, Win over Diaz solidifies Marquez’s position as one of the world’s top fighters

By Dan Rafael

HOUSTON — Juan Manuel Marquez has suffered many disappointments in his career.

Naseem Hamed outright ducked him for years when the Prince was at the top of the featherweight division.

Marquez also never got to fight a prime Erik Morales or Marco Antonio Barrera, the two great Mexican countrymen of his era, although he did eventually beat a faded Barrera.

He suffered a controversial draw against Manny Pacquiao in their first fight and then lost a split decision in the rematch a few years later. Legions believe — and believe strongly — that Marquez won both fights.

For one fight, Marquez went to Chris John’s home country of Indonesia for a featherweight title bout and lost what many believe was a hometown decision. read more

Filed under: Golden Boy, HBO, joel casamayor, juan diaz, Juan Manuel Marquez, Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao, pacmonster