In the last fight between these 2 battlers, the crafty veteran outlasted the young gun and found a way to win even though Diaz had Juan Manuel in trouble early in the fight but was unable to put him away. If the fight were to take the same pattern it would surely end up with the same result. With that said, one of 2 things would need to happen for Diaz to win. One way is that he would have go all out early in the fight using his youth and usual high output of punches to try to catch Marquez early, who may not get out of the gate quick enough because of his age. In this scenario Diaz would land something significant and follow up to the point where the referee would jump in to stop the bout. That is a tough scenario to support being the gallant warrior that Marquez is, even though it almost played out that way in their first fight. I think Marquez will be more prepared for an early high output assault by Diaz this time.
The other scenario for Diaz to win is for the young gun to make adjustments to what he didn?t adjust to in their first fight. Fighting out of his peekaboo style with hands high and tight, Marquez was able to first soften up Diaz by landing some significant body shots under the elbows which ended up causing Diaz to drop his hands so that Marquez landed up top with repeated right hands and other punches. Diaz would either have to punch with him with more accuracy, or dip down and block these shots with his elbows and then counter immediately to ward off the beautiful and effective combinations Marquez is capable of throwing. The other more important adjustment for Diaz to make fighting out of his peekaboo style is that he either has to bring his elbows closer together, or move his head side to side to avoid those fight ending uppercuts splitting his gaurd that put him down and out in the first fight. If these adjustments are made and Diaz maintains a high punch output he should be able to win the fight.
However, it is great fighters that make adjustments during the course of fights, and judging by Diaz?s past performances to include Nate Campbell, Jaun Manuel Marquez, Pauli Malinaggi I and II, Diaz can?t make the necessary adjustments during the course of the fight when he becomes disadvantanged and his trainers are seemingly not able to do it for him. This past history does not bode well towards a Diaz victory. On the other hand, Juan Manuel Marquez has proven time and again against many other fighters, most notably Manny Pacquiao, that he does have the ability to make necessary adjustments in the heat of battle. Furthermore, his trainer Nacho Berestain is also very capable of imparting correct instructions to his charge so that what adjusments Marquez is not aware he should make are made for him, and he is able to act out in the ring without haste what he has been instructed to do. This makes for a great fighter.
With all the above factors considered, I will have to go with Juan Manuel Marquez the great fighter by late KO or unanimous decision victory over the very good fighter Jaun Diaz.
Cesar Zuniga –
When Juan Diaz and Juan Manuel Marquez meet in the ring on Saturday, July 31st, both men have said that they are going to pick up right where they left off in their first fight. I believe them. Two aggressive warriors who are driven by will power and heart and both men will come out looking to take that from the other. Like the first fight Marquez will look to counter off Diaz?s aggressiveness but will soon be caught up in the kind of fight that turns casual fight fans into die hard. Both are coming off losses in their last fights but Marquez?s edge will lie in the fact that he has already knocked out Diaz once before and has shown that he can take Diaz?s punches in return. Diaz has yet to prove to me that he can fight through adversity and on Saturday he will again face the challenge of being hurt by Marquez and I don?t see a different outcome from the first. Nonetheless, it will be an exciting fight and the fans will be rewarded with a great night of boxing, but Marquez will once again survive Diaz?s forward charge, bring him into the later rounds, where he will once again stop him.
Marquez by late stoppage
Chip Mitchell –
You know, part of me wants to think Diaz can muster up enough youthful spirit to force a trilogy here. But that?s only a small part of me. It?s hard not to like this kid.
Outside of youth, Marquez (JMM) has advantages in defense, power, and experience. He?s also won the head to head matchup by stoppage. Speed is debatable, but speed off of counter punching is no contest.
Diaz has one advantage? YOUTH. If Diaz is in shape and gets off to a fast start, he can bank some early rounds. If so, he may be able hold on late to steal a victory. Mentally, if Juan Diaz the boxer shows up instead of Juan Diaz the future Mayor of Houston, we may have a FOY candidate once again.
Based on the first fight I just dont see any answer that Diaz has for Marquez. Sure JMM got shutout against Mayweather. No shame in that loss. Yet, you can argue that Diaz is 0-3 in his in his last three. Soon to be 37, JMM knows the clock is ticking. He still has aspirations of a third fight with Manny Pacquiao. He needs to keep winning and that?s what he will do Saturday night.
Dr.Pietro Baio ? Diaz vs marquez I was a great fight. The only thing Diaz or his corner did wrong was not adjust to the upper cuts marquez was trying to sneak in. I think this time will be different. After both men suffered loses in there last fights, both are looking to prove themselves. Diaz is younger, and hungryer. I see Diaz winning by ud in a close fight 7-5 with a few knock downs sprinkled in. Either way I can?t wait to see what happens.
Carl Hewitt ? Diaz isn?t the fighter he was two years ago before losing his unified lightweight title to Nate Campbell. The two bouts against Malinaggi at 140 lbs. confirmed the fact that Diaz has questionable power when faced with a fighter who is clever and resourceful, and Juan Manuel Marquez is the personification of guile, mental agility and efficiency in the ring. Wipe the lopsided loss to Mayweather from your minds ? Marquez is still a pound-for-pound talent, and a second go-round with Diaz will get him back on the winning track. Look for Diaz to fight more intelligently and box more this time, meaning a decision loss is likely. Marquez should win a tighter affair, setting himself up for a big-money date at 140 lbs. later in the year. Marquez by Unanimous Decision
Judi Abate ? Going against the odds in which the winner of the previous fight should win the rematch. I predict Diaz will pull this one off by a decision.
Rick Assad ? Juan Manuel Marquez, despite his one-sided setback to undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. nearly a year ago, is still one of the finest boxers in the world.
When the Mexican great, who resides in California, meets the 26-year-old Juan Diaz at the Mandalay Bay Events Center this Saturday in Las Vegas, his pedigree and ring generalship will be two reasons why he prevails. Marquez lost a split decision with Manny Pacquiao in March of 2008, and earned a draw in May of 2004 with the Filipino great.
On the line will be the World Boxing Organization lightweight belt, and the World Boxing Association super world lightweight belt.
Diaz has 35 wins with 17 knockouts, and only three losses. But they?ve come over his last five bouts. With two vacant belts up for grabs, the 36-year-old Marquez (50-5-1 and 37 KO?s) earned a technical knockout in the ninth round over Diaz at the Honda Center in Houston, Texas, in early 2009.
Aside from losing to Marquez, Diaz dropped a unanimous decision to Paul Malignaggi and a split decision to tough Nate Campbell. There?s no shame there.
Marquez is an inch taller at 5-7, and the reach is the same, but Marquez will try to bull ?The Bull,? and dicate in the early rounds.
If he does, Diaz will start to tire in the middle rounds, and it will take a major effort to stop the charging Marquez. This rematch could be the ?fight of the year,? and one that will be talked about for generations to come. In the end, Marquez will be too much. The stoppage should occur in the 10th or 11th round.
Albert Alvarez –
When I think about this fight, I seem to think only about Juan Diaz. We all know what Marquez can do and what he does, and that is to study you and hit you from damn near impossible angles. Marquez is a counter punching machine. Even after knowing all that, I still can only think of Juan Diaz. Which Juan Diaz will show up? With Marquez, we already know that he will be the same incredible Marquez, unless his body decides to get old over night and can?t seem to pull the trigger anymore that is. Once again, even after thinking that maybe Marquez will age over night, I still wonder most about Diaz.
I feel that with Diaz his style has been mostly physical and not enough thought behind the why, when, and where department of throwing his shots. Outside the ring, Diaz is very clever, very book smart, the kid does his home work. Inside the ring, Diaz must do the same with Marquez and study him inside and out. The biggest key may be Diaz?s confidence level. Diaz must realize that he was ahead on the score cards before he saw red, and then it all went out the window from there. Diaz in short can not rely on just being more busy and physical.
In the first fight Diaz made mistakes that really cost, the biggest mistake of all was not having a plan B. I feel that this time around Diaz?s hunger will be through the roof because he wants to become world champion once again. I believe that Ronnie Shields and team will feed Marquez devils pie and confuse Marquez in there by adding lateral movement to Diaz?s game plan this time around. Don?t come head on against a counter puncher, step in and suffocate the counter puncher without giving him anything to counter. I see Diaz making the right adjustments this time around, I see Diaz applying pressure the clever way and doing just enough to win by split decision. DIAZ BY SD.
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