When Juan Manuel Marquez stepped out of the ring Nov. 12 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, he was a 38-year-old boxer who had for the third time tried unsuccessfully to get a victory over Manny Pacquiao. The overwhelming opinion on press row was that Marquez had indeed won, but Pacquiao’s hand was raised via majority decision.
At that point, Marquez thought he had won all three fights against Pacquiao. The best he could get was a draw in their first go-round.
Rumors swirled that he would retire, especially if he didn’t get a fourth shot at Pacquiao.
Well, so far that fourth fight has not materialized, but Marquez has decided not to hang up the gloves.
Marquez next week will take on Sergey Fedchenko (30-1, 13 KOs) of the Ukraine for a vacant interim junior welterweight title in Mexico City. The bout will be televised on HBO pay-per-view as part of a split feed that will include Brandon Rios of Oxnard going against Richard Abril of Cuba for a vacant lightweight championship at Mandalay Bay.
Marquez on Wednesday talked about the November setback to Pacquiao, as well as his reason for remaining active. His promoter, Bob Arum, praised him. As did Rios, who could see Marquez next if both win next Saturday.
Marquez did not mince words when the subject of Pacquiao was broached.
“I considered retiring because everybody knows I want to fight Manny again and that I won the last fight, and I feel very angry about that decision,” Advertisement
said Marquez, of Mexico City.
He certainly hasn’t given up on another bout with Pacquiao.
Arum, who also promotes Pacquaio, said negotiations for a fourth fight have not taken place, but that he is hopeful that can be made – perhaps by year’s end.
“The main reason for me to continue is that I want a rematch with Manny, and that is the main factor for me to come back,” Marquez said. “… I think I won the last fight and I am looking for the rematch.”
According to Arum, this is exactly the way Marquez should be thinking. Legendary fighters roll like that, and Marquez is in that class.
“Juan Manuel’s wanting to continue is a sign of being a great fighter,” Arum said. “Look at (Roberto) Duran, the second time (they fought) he lost to (Sugar Ray) Leonard; he didn’t just pack his bags and go away.”
That was the infamous “No mas” fight in November of 1980 when Duran quit in the eighth round of their welterweight title fight. Five months earlier, Duran had beaten Leonard via decision.
After the loss to Leonard, Duran took nine months off and then went 4-2 in six fights. One of the wins was over Pipino Cuevas, one of the losses to Wilfredo Benitez.
After the Cuevas fight, Duran took on junior middleweight champion Davey Moore and stopped him in the eighth round at Madison Square Garden.
“It took him time to get himself together,” Arum said of Duran, “but then he had this unbelievable win at Madison Square Garden. Then he fought (Marvin) Hagler virtually to a standstill and just lost in the last couple of rounds, and he didn’t let that deter him.”
After losing a decision to Hagler, Duran was knocked out by Thomas Hearns in the second round. But you can’t keep a great fighter down, and five years later Duran won the middleweight title with a victory over Iran Barkley in a thriller.
Yes, Duran is one of the all-time greats. But don’t think Marquez is not. He may not go down in history in quite the same breath as Duran, but he’s not far off. And Arum loves the idea that Marquez is showing the same determination Duran did.
“It impresses me because he is a professional,” Arum said, “a true professional. He is a smart man and he knows what it’s all about and he knows that complaining, once the judges render the decision, doesn’t change the result. So you pick yourself up and continue your career.”
Just the very idea that Marquez (53-6-1, 39 KOs) is still this good at this point in his career is amazing if one considers that smaller-weight fighters are usually washed up before the bigger guys.
“The training and conditioning are very important,” Marquez said of his durability. “I feel very well at 38 years old.”
Marquez is doing better than “well.” He is one of the top five pound-for-pound fighters in the world in any respectable poll.
“You have to understand that Juan Manuel is a serious man and boxing is his profession and he takes it seriously, so he keeps himself in great shape,” Arum said. “He is always prepared with his trainer and somebody who lives with that discipline, fights for longer than a person who doesn’t.”
Rios is only 25, so his stay in this game has been much shorter.
But he knows greatness when he sees it.
“There are very few fighters who can do what Marquez does,” Rios said. “He is one of the best out there. He’s a great counter-puncher and a great technician. He’s still got it and that’s why he is still fighting.
“He is nice, polite and very likable and gives the fans what they want. He’s a young 38.”
Yup, Marquez has it all. Everything but a victory over Pacquiao.
So say the judges.
