(NOV 30) On what turned out to be a toe to toe battle of wills, former featherweight champion, Juan Manuel Marquez (45-3-1, 34 KOs), from Anaheim, Cal., faced Jimrex Jaca (27-2-1, 12 KOs), from Cebu City, Philippines, on HBO?s boxing after dark Saturday night. It was supposed to be a little desert to follow a thanksgiving feast, but there was nothing sweet about this fight. Marquez, the veteran master, took Jaca, or what Manny Steward called, ?a watered down Manny Pacquiao? to school, and it was a painful lesson. After two accidental head buts, Marquez had a vertical cut on head, which was gushing blood throughout the bout. Jaca tried to capitalize, but in doing so, it only seemed to fuel Marquez, and tighten the noose around the young prospect, Jaca.
Jaca won the first two rounds, with very effective aggressiveness, but Marquez began to time the assaults of Jaca, and slowly used his masterful ring generalship, to lure the kid in. Deep into the ninth round, Marquez landed a beautiful right hand, and then followed with a left hook, that Jaca is still looking for. It is the punch you do not see that takes you out, and he went down quickly. He seemed bewildered as he sat on the ring floor, looking around, as if to say, ?Did I just get knocked out?? Juan Manuel Marquez showed the true heart and will of a champion. He was fighting a tough fighter, he had a serious cut, and he kept his head, (no pun intended) and willed a solid victory.
I do not know that it really matters who is next for Marquez, Barrera 63 -4 (42 KO?s) or Pac-man 43 ? 3 (34 KO?s). I do know that who ever he fights, better be ready for a storm. Barrera is coming off his thorough beating of Rocky Juarez 25 ? 2 (18 KO?s), and is looking much better than the fighter that lost to Manny Pacquiao in 2003. Manny Pacquiao is feeling confident after destroying Erik Morales, but is having some promoter issues with golden boy, so it looks more and more like a Barrera / Marquez battle will be the next big fight. The real winners are the boxing fans, any way you look at it.
