LAS VEGAS, Nevada ? Mexico’s Juan Manuel Marquez kept his World Boxing Association lightweight throne with a unanimous 12-round decision over Juan Diaz, then called out Filipino star Manny Pacquaio.
Marquez took a rematch of a slugfest from last year by judges’ scores of 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112, improving the 36-year-old fighter’s record to 51-5 with one drawn. Diaz fell to 35-4.
Marquez twice lost to Pacquiao and while the Asian superstar has been unable to land a blockbuster fight with unbeaten US veteran Floyd Mayweather, Marquez is hoping he might have a chance at a third swing in the ring with “Pac-Man”.
“The trilogy is what I want. It’s what the people want,” Marquez said. “I will be ready for another fight in December, hopefully Pacquiao.”
While Pacquiao looks to fight Mexican Antonio Margarito in November, Marquez said his hunger to face the Filipino legend is greater than his desire to rule as World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organization lightweight king.
“That’s true. That fight is more important for me,” Marquez said.
Marquez dispatched Diaz in the ninth round in February of last year and this time was faced with a more tactical boxer-styled foe. The result, however, was the same.
“That first fight was a war. This was a bit more tactical,” Marquez said. “He wanted to box a bit more but we came out ahead. He’s a great fighter. He knows some technique. But tonight technique was in our favor.”
Marquez staggered Diaz with a left uppercut in the fourth round, cut the challenger’s lower lip in the ninth and owned the fight almost from start to finish.
“I fulfilled the game plan, used my jab, but Juan Manuel Marquez is a great fighter,” Diaz said. “He was the better man.”
Having lost four of his past six fights and with plans to start law school in October, Diaz might be looking at the end of his ring career at age 26.
“I have to reconsider all the facts,” he said. “We will have to see. I have put up a hell of a fight for 10 years.”
Since losing to Marquez in his hometown of Houston, Diaz split two fights against countryman Paul Malignaggi, winning a unanimous decision last August but losing by unanimous decision four months later.
The only fight for Marquez since beating Diaz some 17 months ago came last September when he stepped up to welterweight and lost to undefeated US star Floyd Mayweather by unanimous decision.
