Two guys coming off dissapointing losses with something to prove; ingredients that can definitely lead to an action packed fight. With so much on the line, these two fighters will no doubt let it all hang out in the ring.
If Marquez loses the fight, then he may no longer be seen as a viable opponent for Pacquiao and it certainly lessens his leverage in negotiations for potential big money bouts against the elite fighters of the junior welterweight division since a win against him no longer carries the same weight.
A Diaz loss may permanently relegates the 'Baby Bull' to the 'stepping stone' fighter status. He can still become a champion, but it will be more difficult with the addition of the Roberto Guerrero, Humberto Soto and the emergence of Ali Funeka in the lightweight division. A fight with Michael Katsidis might not necessarily spell an easy victory either; you can never underestimate the advantage of a fighter on a winning streak over another on a losing one.
So there is no doubt that this fight will once again contend for fight of the year. Remember the first fight between these two warriors was voted as the 2009 fight of the year by the Boxing Writers Association Of America and most fans would probably agree with that decision.
It might be sacrilegious to say it, but if the equel lives up to the hype and Diaz wins, then it could set up another epic trilogy with the excitement and drama that could rival the first three fights of Marquez and Vasquez.
Their styles are tailor made for each other. Although Marquez is a counterpuncher, his warrior instinct does not allow him to sustain it for the whole twelve rounds and can be baited into a slugfest. Juan Diaz on the other hand is an aggressive, in your face fighter who throws a large volume of punches.
Don't think that this fight will be an automatic walk in the park for Marquez either. Sure, Marquez can easily cruise to an easy victory, but don't forget that Diaz was very competitive in the first fight and had no problems landing on Marquez. In fact, Diaz was arguably winning on the scorecards at the time of the stoppage.
Marquez has slowed down a bit and much easier to hit now. Also, what must be taken into consideration is that Marquez is going down in weight after fighting above 140 for the first time. We don't know yet, how his body will adjust to dropping down in weight. It could significantly hamper his reflexes and speed, which can spell disaster against Diaz. We've seen it happen with Roy Jones Jr and Chris Byrd.
With so much riding on the line and uncertainties, this fight is destined to be a barnburner. So mark July 31st on your calendar and don't miss this fight.
Written by:
