As I am getting ready to preview the very intriguing match up of Casamayor vs. Marquez, scheduled for September 13, 2008 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas for the Ring Magazine lightweight championship of the world, I am struck with an extraordinary amount of similarities between these two pugilists.
They are both elite level fighters and sure to become first ballot hall of famers soon after their retirements. Juan Manuel Marquez is considered one of the best pure boxers and technicians in the business, who has been guided throughout his 15 year professional career by one of the top trainers in the sport Nacho Beristain. Joel Casamayor, the 1992 Olympic gold medalist, who came from the top amateur school in the world, Cuba with astounding record of 363-30, learned every trick in the book way before he ever got paid.
They are both brilliant counterpunchers. Marquez demonstrated his precision counter punching ability at its best in his last grudge match with pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao. Casamayor used a counter left hook to end matters in a thrilling slugfest with a young undefeated lion Michael Katsidis.
They both fight with a huge chip on their shoulders and both have good reasons for it.
Marquez had to wait three years to turn professional due to a spine injury and got disqualified in his first prize fight for a headbutt. He fought in virtual obscurity throughout his career in the shadows of his countrymen greats such as Marco Antonio Barrera and Erick Morales. Casamayor devoted his whole young life to one thing: boxing and when he brought home a gold medal from the Olympics in Barcelona, Fidel Castro awarded him with a bicycle. Joel was crushed by this disrespect and inspired to defect to United States. Even though his professional resume is filled with championship belts and elite level fighters at peak of their careers he has failed to capture imagination of casual fans and is only known among hardcore boxing fanatics.
They are both tough as nails and determined to win at all costs. Marquez has illustrated his toughness in 2004 battle with Pac-man, when after three brutal knock downs in the first round he was able not only to survive, but to win majority of late rounds to earn a majority draw. Casamayor is well known as a rough customer who will not hesitate to use every dirty trick in the book to gain an advantage. He was once confronted about it by a member of the media. His response was simple: “This is not ballet, this is boxing and boxing is a rough sport.”
And their final common personality trait that brings a lot of emotions in me at times, but at the end of the day is what makes them such great warriors is their utter and complete inability to accept defeat. Talk to Marquez (48-4-1, 35 KO’s) and you will find out that he never lost a fight and it is not just blind denial, he makes a very good case for himself and many of his fans believe that he should be undefeated. He knows deep down inside of his soul that he is the best fighter in the world and that he can not be beat and that is why he took this very dangerous fight going up in weight to battle Casamayor, so that after he wins this title he will be able to avenge his highly contested loss to Pacquiao, which by the way he does not think he lost. Casamayor (36-3-1, 22 KO’s) has never lost a fight either. His three defeats came at the hands of Freitas, Castillo and late Diego Corrales and they were very close and competitive bouts and a case could be made that Joel is undefeated as well. Joel knows that he is the best and that there is not anything any body can do in the ring that he has not already seen. Neither of these men has been thoroughly beaten up in the ring and until that happens they will stay with their single minded belief that they are the best. That along with the fact that they are getting just a bit slower and a bit more willing to fight is almost sure to bring a great action bout at the very highest level of sweet science.
As of late, I would venture to guess since signing a promotional contract with Golden Boy, the career of Juan Manuel Marquez has been on the rise; his decision victory over Barrera, systematic destruction of Rocky Juarez and a very tightly contested decision loss to Manny Pacquiao has catapulted his status to the very top of the sport. He is currently ranked number three by the Ring’s coveted pound for pound list.
On the other hand, Joel Casamayor must feel like Rodney Dangerfield, he gets no respect: in his last fight with untested Michael Katsidis Joel was betting underdog. In the upcoming match with Marquez, even though Joel is the Ring Magazine lightweight champion he is a prohibitive underdog, as of now he is + 300, which means 3:1.
This is a rear time where I feel that Las Vegas bookies are off base with a betting line; in my view it is a pretty evenly matched fight. The training camps are on the way for both combatants and all we can do right now is wonder: will the chip on Joel’s shoulder be big enough to fuel his fire, or will Marquez’s desire for revenge with Pacquiao be enough for him to train harder? We will just have to wait and see.
