LAS VEGAS ? It has become an obsession by now, but Juan Manuel Marquez didn’t wait long after polishing off Juan Diaz for the second time Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center to let the world know who was on his mind.
His WBC, WBO and Ring Magazine lightweight belts safely in his possession after his hard-fought, 12-round, unanimous decision against Diaz in the rematch of their 2009 fight of the year, Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs), the Mexican superstar, turned his focus toward the world’s top pound-for-pound fighter.
“What’s the possibility of fighting (Manny) Pacquiao? I’m right here,” said Marquez, 36, whose right eye was nearly swollen shut after twice being poked by the thumb of Diaz’s glove. “There’s no hiding; there’s no running. I’m right here; I’m waiting for him. Our first fights, everyone saw (the first a draw, the second a controversial split decision for Pacquiao). That’s what boxing wants; that’s what boxing needs.
“(Pacquiao) needs a fighter that can beat him, and I’m right here waiting for him. Whenever he’s ready to knock on my door, I’m right here.”
Even when top lightweight contender Michael Katsidis called out Marquez during the post-fight news conference, saying he should be next in line, Marquez couldn’t shake his obsession.
“It’s up to my promoter (Golden Boy), but my priority right now is ? and has always been ?(Manny) Pacquiao” he said. “There’s no ifs and buts. I want to fight Manny Pacquiao.
“But I might have to defend my titles, and we have to respect the fact that Michael Katsidis is the No. 1 challenger to fight for my titles. If the Pacquiao fight doesn’t happen, that’s what I’ll do.”
Marquez, who lost badly to Floyd Mayweather Jr. at 144 pounds in September, went on to say he’d fight Pacquiao at a weight of up to 143 or so pounds and said he’d be ready to fight in November. But Pacquiao is tentatively scheduled to fight Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 after attempts to set up a fight with Mayweather failed.
Marquez, who turns 37 this month, also said one of his next challenges is to move up to 140 and become the first Mexican fighter to win four titles in four divisions.
The message he sent, after the unanimous decision against Diaz (35-4, 17 KOs) that showcased Marquez’s superior boxing skills and punching accuracy (he connected on 168 power punches, nearly 50%), was that “age doesn’t matter. It was a tough fight, getting poked in the eye and Juan changing his style, but age doesn’t matter. I’m going to continue to fight and keep pressing on.”
Marquez said the biggest difference in their two fights was that in the first fight, Diaz came forward and pressed the fight. “He was aggressive,” Marquez said. “Obviously, in this one, Juan Diaz was thinking more. He was trying to box more, so he changed up his strategy. The fight was a bit more technical, but still I’m happy with my performance.”
Diaz, 26, is a graduate from the University of Houston (political science) who will take the Law School Admission Test in October and plans to attend law school soon. He said he appreciated all the support he got from people who knew his story.
Diaz, who needed 10 stitches to close a cut inside his mouth that bled heavily the last several rounds, said, “Tonight was not my night. Marquez is a great fighter. He’s a future Hall of Famer, and it was a great honor to be in the ring with him for two great fights.
“This time around I had a different plan. I thought I had a plan to beat him, but he came well prepared. I just hope I gave the fans a great fight.
“I’m going to go home and take a long break. I’m not going to say I’m not going to fight again, (but) I’m going to sit down with my family and my manager, Willie Savannah … and really consider my options.”
In the only other title fight on a stacked undercard, little-known Russian Dmitry Pirog stunned rising star Daniel Jacobs, 23, from Brooklyn, N.Y., with a powerful right hand in the fifth round to win the vacant WBO middleweight title.
