Marquez vs. Diaz will bring the goods…
By Robert Przybylo
BPrzybylo@opubco.com
The old adage of styles make fights is one of the smarter things anyone can actually say in boxing. Sometimes you have two great fighters that simply don’t mix.
Then there’s Saturday when Juan Manuel Marquez takes on Juan Diaz at the Toyota Center in Houston. This has potential fight of the year written all over it.
This would be one of the better fights to try to get someone into boxing. Diaz is the poster boy right now for the Texas boxing scene and Houston in particular.
He bounced back beautifully after losing his first fight last year to Nate Campbell. The question is will the busier Diaz be too much for the getting-older-Marquez or will Marquez’s precision be enough to set Diaz back again.
As much as Alex Saucedo (the Capitol Hill freshman and potential huge boxing star in the future who loves Diaz) may not like it, I’m going with Juan Manuel Marquez either by close unanimous decision or maybe even a late-round TKO.
I don’t think JMM is as old as people think he is. He’s been in wars, but he’s never been overmatched or in a spot where he didn’t belong in the same ring. Could it happen Saturday? Possibly, but seriously doubt it.
Diaz is a volume puncher, but there’s not much pop in those gloves. He wears you down and it’s his will that eventually saps the energy and breaks the will of his opponents.
Diaz lands some beautiful, picture-esque punches, but Marquez is a great counterpuncher and should be right in his element Saturday.
You know what Diaz is going to do. He’s coming forward every minute, every second. But how will Marquez game plan? Is he going to stay back and wait for the eager Diaz to come in? Or is he going to be willing to have one last back-and-forth war?
I’m on the fence of what he should do, but I think he’s going to make a mid-fight adjustment. He’s going to wait it out, and if he sees an opening or feels Diaz can’t hurt him with his power, I see Marquez moving on in.
Anyway, the atmosphere should be electric as ticket sales have been fantastic and Houston has really embraced the Baby Bull. Once again, it’s HBO putting on a solid card. You can never say that too much. As an avid fight fan, it’s all we ask.
Back Sunday with postfight thoughts.
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