Daniel Zaragoza was a four-time world title holder as a boxer and on Saturday night he hopes to guide veteran featherweight Rafael Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs) to victory as a trainer against World Boxing Organization title holder Juan Manuel Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs).
With a career record of 55 wins and eight losses, including titles as a bantamweight and super bantamweight, Zaragoza has trained Marquez for only a year and a half. Marquez and Zaragoza’s union came as Marquez split ways with long-time trainer and Mexican fight scene icon Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain in early 2009.
With only two fights as Marquez’s coach, Zaragoza – a former pupil of Beristain, feels he has the key to bring Lopez his first defeat.
“It is similar to what he did against Israel Vazuqez,” said Zaragoza. “Being in the necessary physical shape to be able to throw punches for the majority of each three minute round. The technical changes we have made are related to the fact that Lopez is young, fast, and left-handed. Now we have to defend against the left-cross and right hook, with is the opposite of what Vazquez brought as a right-handed fighter, that is our main strategic effort.”
When Marquez fought Vazquez for a fourth time earlier in the year and handed the fellow Mexican City fighter his second loss in the series – it was against a thirty-two year old suffering from a history of scar tissue around both his eyes and medical issues with the retina of one of his eyes. Lopez, a twenty-seven year old, is the fighting pride of Caguas, Puerto Rico, and at the height of his athletic prowess and will be a much more difficult nut to crack.
None the less, Zaragoza feels victory is within reach for the 35 year old Marquez, and if it comes, he is willing to give his fighter all the credit.
“I was a boxer and I know who deserves the credit,” said Zaragoza. “The glory should go to the person who puts on the gloves, the one who wakes up early to do roadwork, the one who takes the punches.”
Showing a meekness that characterizes his nickname of “Mouse”, Zaragoza will have earned a good piece of the accolades that would surround a Marquez upset victory.
