What Fight Fans Should be Watching Tonight: Mayweather vs. Marquez
Posted by Tommy Hackett on September 19th, 2009
Again, fight fans are faced with a choice between offerings from the biggest players in MMA and boxing tonight, as UFC goes head to head with HBO PPV. Hey, it’s not the worst problem to have; and in fact I think we’ve got a pretty clear decision here.
I can already hear the arguments against it, and I’ll admit UFC 103 will probably be enjoyable enough. I’ll even concede that the welterweight bout between Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr and Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez may have lost a bit of luster with Mayweather’s issues at the scale. (See this ESPN report if you haven’t already.) But Mayweather and Marquez still offer a great pairing of two pound-for-pound entrants, and the bout’s winner will be primed for an even bigger night against Manny Pacquiao or Miguel Cotto next year. Let’s be honest: Vitor Belfort and Rich Franklin are very good and their catch weight bout that will likely be entertaining, but win or lose it will really do little for either guy’s standing. Plus, it’s a weak undercard, while HBO PPV is (uncharactaristically) offering several excellent bouts in support of the Mayweather/Marquez main.
So, as in June, when Miguel Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey outshone UFC 99, score the round for the Marquis of Queensbury. Here’s my take at what fight fans should be watching tonight:
HBO’s site for Mayweather vs. Marquez is offering not only the first episode of 24/7, but also extras including the Marquez/Pacquiao bout from 2004. Marquez, 50-4-1 from Mexico City, won that one on my scorecard with his effective bodywork and clean counterpunching. He struggled a bit more with Pacquaio in their second bout last year, as the Filipino’s improved right hand and better power slowed him all night. But it was a tough one to score. I had three rounds even, and ended up a draw, while the judges gave it to Pacquiao. Both fights were among their respective years’ best. If Marquez takes the advantage here, it will because he stayed a step ahead of Mayweather and got to the body early. But is it possible for Marquez, who is essentially a natural featherweight, to adopt that strategy against a natural welter in Mayweather?
Mayweather’s flashy, shoulder-rolling, and counterpunching style has earned the Las Vegas-based virtuoso plenty of critics; but it’s also earned him a 39-0 record. I expect more of the same tonight, but also a bit of a twist. While he clearly selected the smaller Marquez for his opponent believing it would highlight his skills, I think he’s going to have some struggles as well, in the same manner as his first bout with Jose Luis Castillo where he failed to initiate — and barely scraped by with a win. Mayweather coming in two pounds overweight could also imply that the distractions in his life are affecting him more than his boastful demeanor would suggest.
He’s certainly got power, but I don’t see him taking Marquez out early. There’s too much skill on the part of the Mexican to allow that to happen. More likely, Mayweather will take the early rounds, while Marquez may earn some dividends with his bodywork in the middle rounds. Unless Mayweather struggles mightily in his conditioning he should be able to finish strong enough. The pick here is Mayweather by a decision in an entertaining 12-round affair.
September 19th, 2009 at 11:57 am
I was a bit annoyed at Floyd jr. yesterday when I watched the weigh-ins on ESPN. I couldn’t believe he came in overweight. Teddy Atlas talked a little about Floyd jr. last night during Friday Night Fights. Teddy basically had the same thoughts as me (and you, apparently)–maybe Floyd jr’s camp wasn’t as organized as it could gave been.
As much as I’d like to see a future Pacquiao vs. Floyd jr. fight, I’m rooting for Marquez tonight. (Although, I have a feeling that Floyd jr. will pull out a controversial decision.)
September 20th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
I am not surprised that the Zuffabots are talking about how great UFC103 was and how awful Mayweather/Marquez was. Floyd/JMM was a comeback fight with a stacked undercard that completely delivered.
UFC103 was a kind of weak card that if you weren’t a hardcore you could easily skip that was alright, but nowhere on the same level as an overall show as JMM/Floyd.