Only a fortnight after the thrilling Rafael Marquez-Israel Vazquez war, boxing looks forward to yet another all Mexico clash.
Just as Rafael cemented himself as one of boxing’s finest after forcing Vazquez to retire, older brother Juan Manuel Marquez challenges perhaps the highest profile Mexican of them all – Marco Antonio Barrera – for the WBC super featherweight crown.
Las Vegas’ MGM Grande houses a match that few predicted would be made, between A-lister Barrera (63-4, 42 KOs) and avoided man Marquez (46-3-1, 35 KOs).
It’s a huge chance for career advancement for Marquez, 33, who’s had a frustrating last three years. After a thrilling 2004 draw with Manny Pacquiao, the Anaheim, CA based Mexican failed to build on a display of amazing courage and skill.
Turning down a rematch of a fight many felt he won, the unified WBA and IBF champion settled for a pair of dull, if skilled wins over Orlando Salido and Victor Polo, before being stripped by the IBF after his promoter refused to stage a mandatory defense.
Juan Manuel then fell victim to the WBA’s bizarre two champion policy, when he was relieved of his ‘super champion’ status in favor of ‘regular’ titlist Chris John.
Marquez promptly went over to Indonesia to challenge John, but left with a career low payday and a unanimous decision loss. Tigerboxing – as did many others – had Marquez well winning that technical fight, despite some excellent jabbing by John and two points taken from Marquez for low blows.
Because all the trouble began with turning down Pacquiao, coupled with the Filipino favorite’s exciting wins over Erik Morales, there has been little sympathy for the Mexican technician.
But over the past nine months, he’s reinvented himself somewhat, thanks to a pair of wins over Terdsak Jandaeng and Jimrex Jaca – aggressive southpaws who showcased Marquez’ blistering combination punching.
When Pacquiao signed contracts with both Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, the resulting tug of war ensured the WBC mandatory, and future superfight rematch with Barrera, got put well on the backburner.
Marquez, freshly inked by Golden Boy, was thus pencilled in as Barrera’s big fight replacement – a pleasant surprise considering the high risk, low reward ratio that put off the likes of Naseem Hamed, Erik Morales and, at least until now, Barrera.
Opportunities like this don’t come every day for Marquez, who needs this win if he’s to secure future earnings and a reputation as one of the greats. There’s simply no room for failure, and Marquez must use all he’s learned if he’s to win this battle of Mexican masters.
Like his challenger, Barrera knows the value of the comeback, having rebounded from that one-sided 2003 hammering by Pacquiao to win his third-weight world title (WBC super feather, to go with his 126 and 122-pound trophies) from Morales and defending successfully four times.
Though he’s shown signs of ageing, Barrera, 32, showed grit to beat Morales (in their 2004 rubber match) and Juarez (first time) and demonstrated the blend of economy and class that allows him to win easily against Robbie Peden and the Juarez rematch.
Bringing superior experience and timing to the fight, Barrera will be hard to beat in a way different to the swashbuckling ‘Pac Man.’
Those wary of a dull counter-punching match in the vein of Marquez-Freddie Norwood or Barrera-Juarez II will be encouraged by not only the high stakes that intensify this match, but also the bit of needle that’s developing between the two combatants.
Marquez says he’ll stop Barrera in six, who in turn seemed insulted by his friend’s comments and promised a war.
The competitive intensity between the two extends much further back, however, when both were featherweight champions.
Thanks to wins over Morales and Hamed, the ‘Baby Faced Assassin’ was declared as the ‘People’s Featherweight Champion’ after giving up his WBC crown – a position that was abused with subsequent wins over a too-small Johnny Tapia and an old Kevin Kelly, until he was polished off by the ‘Pac Man.’
Marquez – having disappointed so in a debatable loss to Freddie Norwood, his first world title shot – was never considered for a shot, and had to make his own route. His thrashing of Manuel Medina and his chasing out of the ring of Derrick Gainer earned ‘Dinamita’ the status as unified WBA and IBF king, and the former accountant did far better against Pacquiao than did Barrera.
Rising from three opening round knockdowns and suffering a broken nose, he got up to win most of the subsequent rounds in a tremendous war that should have made him a superstar.
Now the career feather has risen up to 130-pounds, where all the action has shifted. The difference in weight is negligible, considering that all the top super feathers are transplanted featherweights, and Marquez will likely have the edge in power and handspeed on Saturday. Marquez shook John at least three times, and the left uppercuts/hooks that did away with Jandaeng and Jaca were quite sensational.
If the fight points to a tactical advantage for Barrera and a physical edge to Marquez – a master boxer nonetheless – things are never so simple. There is also the worry for Marquez, who has suffered damage to the right eye in his past three outings – John jabbed it almost shut, which few give the Indonesian credit for; Jandaeng battered it with straight southpaw lefts; and Jaca’s head caused blood to stream from it.
Barrera’s jab is so fast, clean and regular that one has to worry for Marquez, who’s surely amassing considerable scar tissue.
Marquez, it should never be forgotten, insisted on fighting on rather than winning by technical decision after being informed by disgraced referee Laurence Cole that he was “ahead on the cards” – and finished Jaca in the ninth of their lively tussle.
He’s a master technician who’s finally tapping into depths of ferocity, and at this stage should have a bit too much for Barrera.
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Speaking of super featherweights, Bob Arum is set to unleash Humberto Soto, who faces Bobby Pacquiao on the June 9 undercard to Cotto-Judah.
Soto, 26, is one of the most improved fighters in the sport and looks the future of 130-pounds to me. He’s vastly more skilled than Pacquiao, and hits so much harder than Barrera or Marquez.
The matchup, at Madison Square Garden, could give the major players good reason to fight him.
If Soto is anywhere near as brutal as he was against Humberto Toledo, surely the elder Pacquiao – Manny – will be looking to get revenge for his brother.
Humberto is also the number two contender among the WBC, and the Barrera-Marquez winner will have to give him a shot sooner or later. Neither are spring chickens, while Soto – who holds an emphatic win over Rocky Juarez – can only get better.
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Congratulations might be premature for Rafael Marquez, following his brilliant win over top super bantam Israel Vazquez earlier this month. Rafael, 31, is a textbook boxer and a lethal puncher but has his work cut out for him at 122-pounds.
The next few days can be used to eye up the opposition, as WBA titlist Celestino Caballero takes on Ricardo Castillo this Friday, in Florida. Formidable of punch and size (5′ 11), Caballero blasted away super tough Somsak Sithchatchawal in Thailand to win the title, and the Panamanian also holds a points win over Daniel Ponce De Leon.
Rugged De Leon defends his WBO crown against former super flyweight champion Gerry Penalosa on Saturday’s Barrera-Marquez undercard. Penalosa is a far better boxer, but De Leon – the weakest of the 122-pound titlists – may just be too big, in this all southpaw encounter.
