There is no
doubt that Juan Manuel Marquez is destined to enter any Hall of Fame associated
with the sport of Boxing when his illustrious career reaches it’s conclusion.
Marquez has been an elite pound for pound fighter for many years.
Although a
highly skilled boxer, Marquez has been more than willing to mix it up and go
toe to toe with his opponents throughout his career. Marquez’ willingness to
engage in some of the sport’s more memorable battles has rightfully earned him
recognition as one of the most exciting fighters in the sport. Coming off of a
narrow decision loss in his last fight to then WBO Welterweight world champion
Timothy Bradley last October, Marquez returned to the ring to face former WBO
Jr. Welterweight world champion Mike Alvarado on May 17th at The Forum in
Inglewood, California.
In the lead
up to this fight I stated that Marquez-Alvarado had the ingredients to be
exciting on paper. This fight could be described as both a demonstration of one
fighter’s vast skills as well as a tactical Boxing match that developed into a
toe to toe battle.
Marquez
established the pace of the fight taking the lead and being the busier fighter.
As the fight progressed, Marquez began mixing in combinations to the body and
head of Alvarado while using his lateral movement to avoid much of Alvarado’s
offense and being an elusive target. Although Alvarado had periodic moments
throughout landing punches sporadically, he seemed to give Marquez too much
respect in allowing Marquez to dictate exactly how the fight would be fought. Marquez’
command of the fight was highlighted in the final seconds of round eight when
he knocked Alvarado down with a overhand right that nearly knocked Alvarado out
of the ring. Alvarado made it to his feet and survived the round.
At this point
in the fight there really wasn’t much to say other than simply one fighter
besting another. Sometimes however, even the most lopsided of fights can
produce drama. Alvarado, clearly behind on the scorecards after eight rounds
responded to the knockdown by scoring a knockdown of his own in round nine when
he dropped Marquez with a right hand early in the round.
What had been
a tactical Boxing match for eight rounds with Marquez showcasing his high
Boxing IQ quickly developed into a fight as Marquez responded to being knocked
down with fierce determination as he attacked Alvarado and the two proceeded to
engage in toe to toe combat. Although Alvarado seemed intent on making Marquez
take the initiative instead of bringing the fight to him for much of this
fight, it should not be overlooked that Alvarado took significant punishment
throughout this fight and walked through several punches that probably would
have dropped most Jr. Welterweights or Welterweights and kept coming forward.
In terms of the knockdown that Alvarado was
able to score on Marquez, there is probably a difference of opinion as to how
one would choose to score that round. In most instances when a fighter is
knocked down during a round, judges will typically score the round 10-8 in
favor of the fighter scoring a knockdown. There are cases however, when rounds
like round nine of Marquez-Alvarado where judges might score a round 10-9.
When rounds are
scored under those circumstances, there could be certain factors that would
make an otherwise 10-8 round a 10-9. Factors such as how much time is remaining
in a round and whether or not the fighter who was knocked down can win the
remainder of the round either by Boxing effectively or scoring a knockdown of
their own. In this circumstance, I scored the ninth round unofficially for Alvarado
10-9 based on how effective Marquez was able to fight back after getting up
from the knockdown.
In any case,
whether one’s discretion to score the round 10-8 or 10-9 in favor of Alvarado,
it did provide an element of the unknown in a fight that Marquez was winning
clearly. Alvarado would nearly score another knockdown of Marquez in round
eleven when a right hand staggered Marquez and it appeared that his glove may
have touched the canvas. Referee Pat Russell correctly ruled that Marquez had
not been knocked down, which could have played a factor in the scoring of this
fight.
Although the
outcome of this fight appeared academic at the conclusion of the twelve round
Welterweight bout, the fight was entertaining and showed one fighter’s arsenal
of skills and one fighter’s grit and determination. The unanimous decision in
favor of Marquez was not surprising and was appropriate, but all credit should
be given to Mike Alvarado for the warrior’s heart he showed in this fight.
With the win,
Marquez now becomes the mandatory challenger for WBO Welterweight champion
Manny Pacquiao. Although all signs appear as though the stage has been set for
a fifth installment of the epic series of fights between Pacquiao and Marquez, it
would not surprise me if both were to take a fight against different opposition
before resuming their rivalry.
Even
though the best option in my eyes out there quite frankly for both Marquez and
Pacquiao would be a fifth fight between the two, we will have to wait and see
what the future holds. For now, Marquez has shown that his loss to Timothy
Bradley last year was not an indication that at forty years old he was on the
decline. Juan Manuel Marquez is still one of the best fighters pound for pound
in the world and will give anyone in either the Jr. Welterweight or
Welterweight divisions all they can handle.
As
for what the future holds for Mike Alvarado, I believe that it could be
possible that Alvarado will opt to return to the Jr. Welterweight division. It
is quite possible Alvarado will look to face the winner of the upcoming WBO Jr.
Welterweight title fight between Ruslan Provodnikov and Chris Algieri, which
will take place on June 14th in Brooklyn, New York.
Both
Juan Manuel Marquez and Mike Alvarado treated Boxing fans to a memorable night.
The fight, which signaled the return of Boxing to the legendary Forum in
Inglewood, California site of many memorable fights over the years drew over
12,000 spectators and did not disappoint. For a venue that has played host to
great fights over the years, it is my hope that it’s revival as a major Boxing
venue continues.
“And
That’s The Boxing Truth.”
The
Boxing Truth® is a registered trademark of Beau Denison All Rights Reserved.
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