Marquez vs. Diaz Rematch: Can the Baby Bull Even the Score?
Manny Pacquiao’s one-time arch-rival Juan Manuel Marquez is set to meet Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz in a rematch at 135 lbs on July 31st. With all the hooplah surrounding Juan Manuel Marquez and his rivalry with Manny Pacquiao, which promptly led him onto Floyd Mayweather’s dance card and a lopsided defeat, it is often overlooked that he remains the WBA and WBO Lightweight Champion.
Both belts will be on the line, and both boxers have tasted defeat in their last outings. Will Diaz be able to improve on his last performance and regain his standing as the world’s best lightweight, or will the 36 year old Marquez show that age is just a number and retain his titles? Its the age old question of “repeat or revenge?”
Juan Diaz (35-3 with 17 KOs)
5’6″ with 67″ reach, 26 years old
Former WBA-WBO-IBF Lightweight Champion
American
Oh how the mighty have fallen. Juan Diaz was once the youthful kingpin of his division. A fighter with a sterling amateur pedigree and an exciting, punches-in-bunches style, he made Acelino Freitas quit and knocked out Julio Diaz. Then he lost a decision to Nate Campbell (launching the Galaxy Warrior’s rehabilitation), got crunched by his forthcoming opponent on July 31st, and went 1-1 with Paulie Malignaggi in a series where everyone thought Diaz’s win was a Houston robbery. Along the way, he eeked out a victory in a war with Michael Katsidis.
Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1 with 37 KOs)
5’7″ with 67″ reach, 36 years old
Former Featherweight Champion, current WBO-WBA Lightweight Champion
Mexican
Although Floyd Mayweather has replaced Marquez as the arch-rival of Manny Pacquiao, Marquez still stands as the best Mexican counter-puncher of modern times and arguably the best fighter active in Mexico today. He lost to Mayweather in his last outing, but “Pretty Boy” had just about every edge in the book on Marquez, so “Dinamita” lost none of his luster in that fight.
His record with Pacquiao is 0-1-1 and should read 1-0-1, and his other losses are to Chris John and the oft-forgotten Freddie Norwood. In the win category, he thumped Derrick Gainer, Rocky Juarez, Marco Antonio Barrera, and Joel Casamayor, as well as his opponent on July 31st.
Marquez vs. Diaz II Preview & Fight Analysis
Many are saying that Diaz is flumoxed when faced with boxers, and it certainly appears that way after his losses to Malignaggi, Campbell and Marquez. There is more to the story than that, however. Diaz was putting plenty of hurt on Marquez up until about the middle of that fight, and when the knockout came in the 9th the fight was still quite competitive. Diaz also made the bout with Campbell a close affair. It was only against the speedy, fleet-footed Malignaggi – a bout fought at 140 lbs. – that Diaz was flummoxed.
Still, I cannot see him beating Marquez unless “Dinamita” suddenly gets old. Marquez weathered the Diaz storm, figured out Diaz’s timing and then clocked and stopped him with accurate counters. If there is one thing bad about Juan Diaz, it is that he has never displayed a good Plan B, which goes a long way to explaining all of his defeats.
If he comes out doing the same old thing, Marquez will soon pick up where he left off and drop the brave Diaz even sooner. As there are no signs that Juan Manuel Marquez is getting old just yet, there is no reason to believe he will have any trouble pulling the trigger on Diaz.
Marquez vs. Diaz II Prediction
Juan Manuel Marquez TKO6 Juan Diaz
