Marquez “I have fought hard for these titles, and it’s going to cost whoever it is something to take them away from me!”
Polo “I watched his videos, he’s a great boxer; but he also gets hit, so we have to take every ample advantage of it.” Marquez Vs Polo
When it comes to being steady, consistent, reliable, and as if put in a vitamin pill capsule formation for posterity sakes somewhere, treated like a second classed fighter in your particular division has got to smart. Truth be told, if it weren’t that this individual had risen from the canvas like Lazarus arose from the dead on that frightful evening of May 8th 2004, when Manny Pacquiao laid more hands on him then being in a spiritual convention, he might’ve not answered the toll of the bell.
Lazarus by the way was buried for four days, not three. Pacquiao drilled this fighter for three consecutive knockdowns in the first round, and he just got back up each time, never complaining, even taking a high grazing shot on the seat of his pants once seated down on the third one, and went back into the fight like a real trooper. In fact, he gave Pacquiao the scariest moment of his life! What makes a mere man come within proximity to being immortalized with the boxing gods?
No matter how many times you review Pacquiao-Marquez, this bout was the most defining fight for both in the featherweight division. Make no mistake about that. Ironically though, some of us have had some ill feelings and objections surrounding another rematch with these two, which I cannot figure out, except for waiting as long you can convert Duran-Leonard II into III fast-fowarding your VCR or DVD. It could be worst; some still believe a resurrected Angel “El Diablo” Manfredy could very well rematch with Arturo “Thunder” Gatti II sometime.
What’s the first question often asked upon a hot fighter’s prowess today?
Whom have you fought? Questions on your division, and on whether it is worthy of contingency. We may find all of these things with our next conference call.
Remember what I just told you. Who’d he fight? What weight division he’d fight in again? And that dreaded, ‘Oh that weight class is currently being abandoned and contenders are just scurrying away avoiding it.’ Somewhere these have held true even in the glorified nostalgic days of boxing too, perhaps truer today then we’d currently like to admit as the norm.
Speaking of updates, twin IBF-WBA Featherweight Champion Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez, 43-2-1, 33 KO’s, will place his titles on the line against WBA’s number five-rated featherweight, Victor Polo, 34-4-3, 21 KO’s. It’ll be part of the Castillo-Corrales WBC-WBO Lightweight main event unification card, its co-feature along sides of it on Showtime will be shown live May 7th.
Juan Manuel Marquez
Marquez feels he was overconfident against Pacquiao in that first round
GDS: Juan, it’ll be a day short of a year ago that you’ve fought Manny Pacquiao in defense of your titles. Remembering that fight, what was it in that third first round knockdown which Pacquaio did to inspire you the rest of the way from the moral aspect of continuance with you finishing the fight so spectacularly?
I think in that fight I had a condition very well taken and made the most of my motivation for taking an upper hand. I worked so hard to get them (his titles). I knew what I had to do, but it was a bit of over-confidence on my part having to make up for it.
He went on to briefly elaborate that he’d been so comfortable with his lead before the first of three surprising knockdowns came from Pacquiao, that he had to shift gears immediately to then take the many rounds finishing the rest of the fight.
They asked for his expert opinion on the Erik Morales-Manny Pacquaio fight.
Marquez answered, “Erik demonstrated un gran boxeo against Morales. I’m sure he’s seen the video of our fights in taking great advantage of it.”
He also answered that he’d have no problem fighting Erik needed be the call of duty to meet him at the junior lightweight level, justifiably saying, “I actually do need those kind of fights you’re talking of.”
Would he fight “Pac Man” Manny Pacquiao again? Marquez answered, “I actually would like to fight Manny Pacquiao again, and I think it would be a great fight!”
GDS: Should you be successful in your defense against Polo, would there be renewable options for you to move up a weight at no risk whatsoever to your two prestigious world featherweight championships?
I think we could, like to defend it or go up, but what I’m concerned with at the moment is this fight.
Marquez served to remind me that in this business there is no if or should, that anybody can be capable of lifting his entitlements at stake. Essentially Marquez has little patience for leaving that overcast shadow of a possibility open.
On preparations
We had a great camp for preparations. I think that people will really enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to a great fight.
As the champ puts it, “I have fought hard for these titles, and it’s going to cost whoever it is something to take them away from me!”
He strongly feels the amount of risks are exactly the same as to whether you’re fighting a name opponent, or one without such pizzazz, and he actually does believe that. And says about Polo, “He’s fought for the championships in those fights, so I’m not going to take him likely at this stage.”
Adding, We have a good plan to fight with intelligence, and be smartly prepared, not letting our guard down at any time.
There seems to be a preoccupation in that tone of voice that suggests he knows Victor Polo is well prepared for the task at hand to meet him.
Manny “Pac Man” Pacquiao observations from the Marquez passing thoughts:
I think my experience has taken over and I think I sparred better this time around, but the thing about Pacquiao, I do think I took him lightly that first round not handling it the way I should of.
Victor Polo is into his 5th title fight, training diligently for Marquez, and confident in his own abilities to see himself fair well against the champ. I asked him the following questions.
GDS: Victor you already know from watching Juan Marquez fight that he has a most reliable chin. What is going to be your advantage in matching up with him? What weaknesses that you picked up to use with what you’ll exploit in the upcoming bout against Juan Manuel Marquez on?
“I watched his videos, he’s a great boxer; but he (Marquez) also gets hit, so we have to take every ample advantage of it.”
Victor’s sentiments on the fight:
Well I have prepared very well for this card and I know it’s a tough fight up coming on May the seventh.
Polo has trained in Barranquilla, Columbia.
Seeing the attitude Victor Polo exhibits to the sport is infectious, and he’s very serious in taking on this fight too.
Polo the southpaw was asked if he thought he beat out Scott Harrison for the title, and Victor responded with, “I feel l won by a few points, but I am not feeling angry like that over it. That’s just the way the sport is sometimes. Against Scott Harrison, I knew I had won that fight, and a few other ones besides that one too.”
Through it all, controversies or not, Polo has maintained upbeat and jovial only saying, “That’s boxing.” You can’t do anything but like him for that.
If Victor Polo the left-hander has mapped out anything of significance taken from the adjustments he’s thus seen with Marquez in the fighting match with Manny Pacquiao, he isn’t saying, other than the several assorted boxing videos he’s gone through a tapestry already seen many other countless amount of times before.
Predictions for the fighters
Victor Polo says, “I have no prognostication come May 7th, all I can say is you’re getting a great fight!”
Marquez when asked for him to come up with one, responded with, “No predictions for the fight, the fans are the ones who’re going to be the winners of this fight May 7th.”
