Timothy Bradley successfully defended his WBO welterweight title last night, winning a split decision over former top five pound-for-pound fighter Juan Manuel Marquez.
The scores were 115-113 and 116-112 for the champion and 113-115 for Marquez. FightSaga scored it 115-113 for Bradley.
Juan Manuel Marquez fought well but simply failed to do enough to win.
Seem like a familiar theme?
We saw him in similar situations with Manny Pacquiao.
After the last night’s verdict, Marquez claimed to have been robbed “six times,” only acknowledging the Mayweather fight as a true loss. Is there a vast right-wing conspiracy against Marquez or is he simply not active nor convincing enough to win favor with the judges in competitive bouts that go the distance?
A fighter can get robbed once or twice but when he consistently loses decisions in close bouts to different opponents and with new officials, the problem is with the fighter, not the judges.
Marquez was not “beaten up” or embarrassed last night, nor was he ever whopped by Manny Pacquiao in their first three bouts; But he has allowed opponents, including PacMan, to outwork him, control the pace and essentially become the ring general.
Despite his greatness – and he’s an all-timer – JMM has always had a very obvious limitation.
Need examples? In his first bout against Juan Diaz in the 2009 Fight of the Year, the fight was a draw on the judges’ cards until JMM dramatically stopped his foe in the ninth.
Heading into Round 11 of the Joel Casamayor bout in 2008, two of the three judges had the fight even. Marquez, once again, saved himslef by earning a TKO.
In 2006, Marquez lost a unanimous decision in a close bout to the quicker, more technical Chris John who refused to accommodate Marquez’s style.
How about the first three Pacquiao bouts that resulted in a draw and two loses via close verdicts?
And even in Pacquiao vs Marquez 4, JMM was starting to take a beating before the knockout.
Coincidence? Highly unlikely.
If not for his knockouts, he would have found himself on the short end of even more close decisions.
So why didn’t Bradley engage Marquez toe-to-toe?
Answer: He didn’t have to Keep in mind, the onus was on Marquez to engage Bradley, not vice-versa. Tim entered as the champion. If the challenger wants the title, it’s up to him to ‘go and get it.’
A challenger cannot sit back and expect the champion to purposely put himself in harm’s way. If the challenger wants the title, he is the one who must forfeit his comfort zone – not the champ.
Last night, a determined Tim Bradley (31-0, 12 KO) outworked and outsped Marquez in a bout that showcased the technical brilliance of both fighters. Bradley employed a fast, crisp jab and effectively slipped JMM’s powershots while Marquez was able to land some sweet, thudding body shots and make Bradley miss quite regularly.
However, Marquez didn’t look comfortable, especially when taking the lead. Even the consummate counterpuncher must be able to seize the initiative, cut the ring off and apply intelligent pressure when Plans A, B & C fail.
A fighter who can only counterpunch superbly is, in some ways, one-dimentional. What happens when an opponent forces that counterpuncher to take the lead?
While Julio Cesar Chavez Sr had a reputation as an aggressive brawler, his technical “boxing” skills were among the most underrated in the sport at the time.
In his rematch against Frankie Randall, for example, we saw Chavez on his toes, sticking and moving. At different points in his career, he showed a fine ability to fight well while retreating and pumping the jab. Although not his forte, he could hold his own and still score points when not being the aggressor.
Marquez can undoubtedly fight going back and while being pressured; Hence, when opponents engage him, JMM is in his element.
But if continues fighting, he must find a way to become a more effective aggressor; Hence, he must be a more complete fighter. Simply being an awesome counterpuncher isn’t good enough, especially when facing a masterful boxer who’ll force him to take the lead.
Tim Bradley Tim Bradley, conversely, would be a difficult opponent for any fighter 140 lbs to 154 lbs, even Floyd Mayweather. The WBO Champion, while “not pretty” in the ring, can adopt the role of the fearless aggressor and technical boxer, and can make adjustments on the fly.
And he can do all those things very well.
Like him or not, Bradley is a complete fighter. He’s the quintessential ‘jack of all trades but master of none.’
His defense is sound and he combines fastastic footwook with excellent speed, a sturdy chin and a high boxing I.Q.
Stylistically, he’s not Flyod Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao or Lucas Matthysse. Unlike those fighters, he doesn’t overwhelm opponents with one or two signature strengths.
Tim Bradley wins ugly but, skills-wise, he’s the entire package.
The fighter dubbed ‘Desert Storm,’ with his last two performances, has more than legitimized Pacquiao vs Bradley 2.
