Fight Insight

Boxing Predictions

Juan Manuel Marquez Will Defeat Juan Diaz In A Classic

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This fight has fight of the year written all over it. In one corner, you have Juan Manual Marquez (49-4-1, 36 KOs), arguably the best Mexican boxer since Julio Cesar Chavez. In the other, you have one of the most relentless action fighters in recent years in Juan Diaz (34-1, 17 KOs).

What’s at stake? The linear lightweight championship, which Marquez snared by stopping Joel Casamayor in September. Diaz was on his own collision course with Casamayor before Nate Campbell derailed him. Now, he gets a second chance.

Unfortunately, second chances do not guarantee success. I believe that the success story on Saturday will be Juan Manuel Marquez. Here’s why:

  1. Defense. Advantage Marquez. The name of the game is to hit and not get hit. Simply put, Marquez does this better than Diaz. He’s one of the most technically-sound boxers alive. Diaz is not your average head-first brawler. He does have some skill, just not as much as Marquez. 
  2. Power. Advantage Marquez. This advantage will make the greatest difference in my opinion. Combine Diaz’s physical, aggressive style and Marquez’s hard, counter-punching style and you will see some bruising exchanges. The power ratio will be the difference.
  3. Ring Generalship. Advantage Marquez. Pacquiao hits harder. Hopkins is savvier. Mosley is stronger. But no one fighting today combines the skill and power of Marquez. Yes, I think he’s that good.
  4. Speed. Advantage Marquez. Any man who can go tit-for-tat over 24 scintillating rounds with the hyper-kinetic Manny Pacquiao clearly has damn good hand speed. Diaz will find this out the hard and hurtful way.

There are other factors that I have not listed that go into the outcome of a fight. And a couple actually favor Diaz. One, the fight’s location is in his backyard of Houston, Texas. This fact can’t hurt him if the fight is close and lasts the distance. Additionally, Diaz is the naturally bigger man.

However, these advantages will not be enough. Marquez will prove why he’s one of the top three or four fighters in the world.

Marquez W TKO 10.

Filed Under: Boxing Predictions

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About Ja Dawes

After years of debating via email with my buddies on topics ranging from who the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world is to who is going to win the upcoming heavyweight title fight, I wanted to create a forum where I could share my opinions on such topics. Enter FightInsight.com. You can also follow me on Twitter: fightinsight

Comments

  2. Ja Dawson says

    That’s a significant limb. you must not like your arms (lol). Sh*t, I’ve seen bigger “upsets” occur, but can not see it here. Besides being a Marquez fan, the dude can just fight his trunks off.

  3. Joe says

    Yeah, I think the Over is probably going to be a good bet.

    JMM makes pressure fighters gun shy very fast. Pacman did not just rush in and Diaz won’t be just rushing in after a few rounds.

    JMM is not going to stop Diaz, who will refuse to get smashed on his home turf.

    Over.

  4. Sir Jenks says

    I don’t really have a specific argument one way or the other, but I think Marquez is more of a warrior at this point. Seems like Diaz is more concerned with his pursuits outside of the ring at this point.

  7. Joe says

    Well as I thought JMM went hard for the TKO to get the pacman rematch.

    The old JMM is gone forever, he has changed his emphasis to a more fighting style for the sake of his career.

  8. Ja Dawson says

    Joe, I really think Diaz leaves his opponents with no choice. You are forced to fight harder and longer because of the ridiculous pace he sets. Unfortunately for him, Marquez was masterful in picking off his shots and breaking hid body down in the process. Great fight though.