Sergio Martinez and Paul Williams, two contemporary boxers actually worthy of the honorific “prizefighter,” meet for a second time when they face off at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday night. Their last bout, in December 2009, was a tour de force of sophisticated violence. This fight, set at an arbitrary catchweight of 158 pounds, promises to be a repeat of their last pitiless encounter. Not even boxing, whose unofficial motto might as well be “Expect Nothing and Get It Every Time,” could keep these two apart for long. Continue reading this post »
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(Welcome to another edition of Sound & Fury, the boxing column that blackens eyes and skips clichés. This week TCS takes a look at some of the weekend action, or, in the case of Guillermo Rigondeaux, non-action, wonders how a completely shot fighter can leave Manny Pacquiao bruised and scraped, admires the quality entertainment Golden Boy Promotions usually stages for Telefutura and Fox, and wonders about Zab Judah, Allan Green, and Mike Jones just for the hell of it. )
Manny Pacquiao tortured a game Antonio Margarito over 12 violent and lopsided rounds last night in Dallas, Texas, in a fight that was remarkable both for the size disparity between the two combatants and for the effort Margarito put forth in an attempt to boost a reputation long settled at bedrock. Continue reading this post »
One of the strangest—and most divisive—fights to come along in years is finally upon us when Manny Pacquiao faces Antonio Margarito tomorrow night for a dubious junior middleweight title at Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
There are enough questions surrounding this event to make deciphering the plot of The Big Sleep seem like a cinch. Featuring a disgraced former welterweight star, Margarito, against a boxer who won his first title at flyweight, this fight, set at 150 pounds, has so many subplots surrounding it that anything seems possible. Continue reading this post »
Thrillmaker extraordinaire Juan Manuel Lopez overcame determined Rafael Marquez last night at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas via explosive TKO when Marquez, citing a shoulder injury, remained on the stool before the start of the ninth round.
It was a rousing brawl while it lasted, and both men found themselves tapping deep reserves of willpower early. Round after round, the two exchanged blistering shots until Marquez began to wither beneath a hailstorm of leather. By the time the fight was stopped, Marquez had taken a remarkable amount of punishment and was looking unsteady on his feet. Equally remarkable, however, was the resolve and grit he showed throughout. Continue reading this post »
Veteran powerpuncher Rafael Marquez looks his future—and his past—in the eye tomorrow night when he faces Puerto Rican shredder Juan Manuel Lopez over a scheduled 12 at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.
Despite winning his last two bouts, Marquez has not looked particularly good lately. At 35, with battle after battle left in his wake, Marquez no longer resembles the destructive force of one of his peak performances: a third-round KO of Heriberto Ruiz, earned via a perfect counter right uppercut that dropped Ruiz flat on his face, in 2003. Exact as a machine in those days, Marquez, Mexico City, now looks like his gears need oiling lest smoke come pouring out of his engine. In fact, it seems odd that Marquez was catapulted, with much fanfare, into a fight with a walking firestorm like Lopez on the basis of his win over Israel Vazquez, a fighter so faded that he entered the fourth bout of their series as the underdog despite winning consecutive fights against Marquez.
Even so, Marquez has been an outstanding prizefighter for years, and if this last chance may be little more than the latest reenactment of a traditional boxing ritual—the young fighter establishing a reputation against an older one—rest assured that Marquez will do his best to turn that narrative on its head.
Long before his taxing trilogy with Vazquez, Marquez was taking punishment in hard fights against Tim Austin, Mark “Too Sharp” Johnson, and Silence Mabuza. He has also been knocked out four times in his career. That Marquez, 39-5 (35), has overcome a weak chin to be successful speaks volumes about his skill and, most of all, his power. He has been able to turn many fights around with a single, well-placed shot. Indeed, few little men have punched as hard as Marquez has over the last decade. But even his power will be offset to an extent when he faces the bigger Juan Manuel Lopez. Lopez, 27, himself does not resemble an ironman in the ring, and the only chance Marquez has is to pick his shots carefully and hope one punch deprives Lopez, momentarily, of the living daylights.
Lopez, 29-0 (26), is the personification of GBH in the ring. His straight-up style of banging, however, leaves openings for countershots, and Marquez, whose ring I.Q. is doubled by 15 years of waging war, will be looking for opportunities to thread precise blows at a chin not always reliably tucked or guarded. Uppercuts, in particular, may be his best weapon against a fighter who often forgets his opponent might actually punch back. Oliver Lontchi got to a seemingly cavalier Lopez with rights; Rogers Mtagwa nearly decapitated him with his arcing, scythe-like swipes; and Bernabe Concepcion decked him with a left hook with only a few seconds remaining in the opening round. Perhaps Lopez will show Marquez a little more respect than he has against other opponents. After all, even old trouble can become trouble anew.
Nothing less than a perfectly executed gameplan will allow Marquez to overcome a slew of disadvantages that will accompany him into the ring in Las Vegas. Not only is Lopez, Caguas, Puerto Rico, bigger, younger, and stronger, but he is also the far fresher fighter, and his southpaw stance only adds to the obstacle course. A crippling right hook to the body is perhaps his best weapon, but he also snaps off multi-punch combinations with fluidity and carries dynamite in both hands.
Marquez has the edge in experience and smarts—two advantages the grizzled always cite to taunt young whippersnappers. Whether or not this spells trouble for Lopez remains to be seen. In the end, Marquez will get his chances, but capitalizing on them is another matter altogether. Look for Lopez to start slowly, increase the tempo round by round, and trample all over wisdom on the way to a late stoppage win.
*****
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