Keeping Pace: Juan Manuel Marquez Has Still Got It

By Lee Payton

Nearly 37 years old and the great technician is whipping them in there like he could ten years ago. Juan Diaz couldn't match the great old champion on a mental or physical level and was steadily sniped for 12 rounds. Game as always, the challenger tried just about everything in search of something he could exploit, but was kept at bay for most of the contest by sharp fists and legendary conditioning.

That he is still World Lightweight Champion is no surprise, but my eyes got wide at the speed and precision Marquez still possesses at an age when fighters his size have nearly always slowed. Perhaps he's breathing a little harder these days, but that's about the only difference I could see last night. Clean living and hard work are paying dividends for the great old warrior.

Marquez didn't have history on his side going into the fight with Diaz, as most top level feathers and lightweights are finished by this stage.  There are a few exceptions though...

• Ghana's Azumah Nelson fought guys like Jeff Fenech, Gabriel Rulelas, Calvin Grove, Genaro Hernandez and Jesse James Leija in 9 fights during his 30's with mixed results. I don't think anyone was sure how old he really was by the time he retired.
• Joe "Old Bones" Brown held the lightweight title from 1956-1961 and was part of that year's best fight, according to The Ring. At 35, Brown made his last successful defense. He had a very checkered record from then on.
• Daniel Zarragoza (who is Marquez' assistant trainer) did a lot of solid work in his 30's. From 1988 to 1997 he was in 20 world title fights, going 13-4-3 against good fighters like Wayne McCollough, Hector Acero Sanchez, Tracy Harris Patterson and Paul Banke. He was 39 when he lost his last fight to Erik Morales.
• Brazil's Eder Jofre was 37 when he won the WBC featherweight title... 7 years after his original retirement from the ring!
• Joel Casamayor won the lightweight title from Diego Corrales at age 35, and came back from the brink to stop Michael Katsidis a year and half later.  In action last night, it appears the 39 year old Cuban has clearly reached the end of the road.

That's about the best I can do for examples of fighters with similar success in their old age over the last 50 years. What we're watching here is special. and it all comes from hard work and dedication to the craft. His excellence is no accident. One needs only to look at his punching technique to see that he has practiced doing things the right way for many years. Every combination is delievered with proper strength, balance and form, with no wasted motion. It often looks effortless. He doesn't rely heavily on his athleticism to get the job done so he's been able to succeed at a very high level, even if he has slipped some since his absolute prime.

If current credentials matter, next in line for a crack at the belt is Michael Katsidis, who is a load. With uncommon physical strength and explosiveness for the weight class, the brave Aussie will surely provide a tough challenge. His hyper-aggressive style makes him an attractive option for fans, TV and the champion.

Great Britain's Amir Khan is another option, though it would mean a move up to 140 lbs. While I'm sure Marquez could knock him out, there's also a good chance that the youngster plays it safe and stays at long range all night. I don't really want to see the champ reaching when there are more attractive styles out there, but it would give him a title belt in a 4th weight class.

If Manny Pacquiao's people can't make a deal with Floyd Mayweather in the near future I'm sure fight fans around the world would love to see a third bout. It's a natural. Marquez says he will be ready to fight in November. Pacquiao will be fighting in November... who knows what happens after that?

Floyd may be more than willing to let the Pac-Man lose, or at least add a few more miles to the odometer before he signs another contract to fight anyone.

Whatever happens, I'm just going to enjoy waiting for the great Juan Manuel Marquez to get old.

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