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...

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Juan Manuel Marquez was simply too good for Juan Diaz last night.  He may have taken a few lumps along the way, but for the most part the brilliant Mexican counter-puncher was sharp as ever in handing out a punishing 12 round boxing lesson.

Let's take a look around the net at reactions from last night's HBO PPV show...

Bad Left Hook - Juan Manuel Marquez too much for Juan Diaz in rematch

Diaz (35-4, 17 KO) tried early to box more than he ever has before, and it was an admirable attempt to change his style for a big fight. His more usual style did not work against Marquez last time, but after the fourth or fifth round of this fight, it was clear that the new approach also was not going to work. Diaz simply cannot outbox Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KO), and eventually it became a bit frustrating that he and trainer Ronnie Shields showed no desire to change the gameplan when it was obviously not going to defeat Marquez. Jim Lampley and Emanuel Steward, calling the broadcast for HBO, continually lauded the "smart" fighting, but it was noted in our comments by many that it can't exactly be too smart to keep fighting in a way that will not win the fight. But I don't fault Diaz for not trying his best; he did try his best, at least so far as sticking with a plan. It just didn't work.

The Queensbury Rules - Juan Manuel Marquez Still Has It (And Dmitry Pirog, Robert Guerrero And Jorge Linares Win, Too)

Someone please tell me how Diaz could have won this fight. He wasn't going to outbox any version of Marquez -- it simply couldn't happen. The best he could hope for was that Marquez was shot after a number of grueling fights, including the only one-sided pasting of his career against a much larger Floyd Mayweather, Jr. in September. This wasn't a shot Marquez. Far from it. At 36, he looked vital, even.

Telegraph Blogs - JM Marquez the master over Juan Diaz as Amir Khan waits in the wings

Juan Manuel Marquez still has it. In abundance. The Mexican master fought his way to a unanimous decision over Juan Diaz at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas in the early hours of this morning, to retain his WBA and WBO lightweight titles. Clinical, rarely troubled, Marquez put on a top-level, counter-punching performance, to defeat Diaz for a second time, following his ninth round stoppage victory in February last year.

Los Angeles Times - Juan Manuel Marquez makes his case with unanimous decision over Juan Diaz

"The trilogy with Pacquiao is what I want," said Marquez, who fought the Filipino star to a 2004 draw and lost a split-decision to him in 2008. "It's what everyone wants to see. It's good for all the fight fans. The Mexicans, the Filipinos all want to see it. I'll be ready to fight in November, so hopefully Pacquiao will take the fight." Pacquiao isn't expected to. Blown off by Floyd Mayweather Jr., Pacquiao has already agreed to fight Antonio Margarito on Nov. 13 in a 154-pound bout.

LA Daily News - Marquez defeats Diaz by decision, keeps lightweight title

"I fought the best fight I could," Diaz said. "We were trading punches. We fought in and out. I didn't want to stand in front of him. The game plan was to get in there, get off combinations, step around and get out. "But it was hard, and I got hit with a couple of shots, too. But I followed the game plan, used my jab, threw my combinations. But he's a very tough fighter, a great fighter. I was in there with the best."

Bad Left Hook - Dmitry Pirog viciously knocks out Danny Jacobs in five

After the fight, Jacobs said Pirog gave him a lot of punches he didn't see, including the right (obviously), and that he didn't feel like his legs were there tonight. Here's hoping Danny Jacobs regroups and comes back strong, because he obviously has a lot of talent. Fighters lose sometimes when they take risks, and Jacobs took a real risk fighting a fellow legitimate prospect.

The Associated Press: Pirog flattens Jacobs; Guerrero tops Casamayor

"I felt good, and I had a dominant performance," Guerrero said. "He's a lefty, and he's really crafty with a good counterpunch. He kept using his head and grabbing me to hold me down. He's a veteran, and he knows how to survive." The 39-year-old Casamayor (37-5-1) managed to knock down the Bay Area fighter late in the final round with a sneaky right hook, but Guerrero appeared to be more surprised than hurt after his first taste of the canvas in his boxing career.

Houston Chronicle - Juarez faces uncertain future after defeat

The last half of the bout mirrored the first three rounds, with Linares circling the ring and firing left hands while Juarez continued to helplessly stalk him. Other than an overhand right late in the eighth round, and another at the end of the ninth, after which Linares mockingly shuffled his feet, Juarez could not get inside the defense of the technically sound Venezuelan.

Juan Manuel Marquez retained his lightweight crown at the Mandalay Bay last night with an impressive unanimous decision victory over Juan Diaz.  The win made it 2 for 2 over Diaz for the masterful Mexican, who was in control from start to finish.  Though he didn't flatten Diaz, the win was certainly more one-sided than the first meeting as the Houston fighter never approached the same kind of success he had over the first six rounds last year.

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Saturday night on HBO PPV, Juan Manuel Marquez puts his lightweight crown on the line against Juan Diaz in a rematch of last year's epic FOTY struggle. Though both fighters might not be at the standard they were for the original clash, it's hard to see the style match-up not delivering with the counter-punching brilliance of Marquez pitted against the pressure of the quicker Diaz.

Will the veteran come through again or will youth prevail this time around.  Let's take a look at some of the pre-fight buzz from around the net...

Bad Left Hook Fight Preview: Juan Manuel Marquez v. Juan Diaz II

I do understand the folks who don't think this is a suitable major PPV headliner. But I'm thoroughly intrigued by finding out what each of these guys has to offer on Saturday. The main event guarantees a better fight than any other recent major pay-per-view (Mayweather-Mosley, Pacquiao-Clottey and Jones-Hopkins II this year have been wretched), and will probably be a better fight than any other major PPV that will come out of boxing in 2010.

Safe Side of the Ropes - The Sun Also Rises: Marquez & Diaz Dispense With The Matadors To Fiesta Again

When looking for a winner, I side with the veteran Marquez. Despite Diaz’s pretty persuasive argument, where he states that he can win by performing as he did for the first half of fight one throughout the entire length of fight two, I’m not convinced that he has the wherewithal to pull off such a feat. Against Campbell, Marquez and to a degree Malignaggi (in their rematch), Diaz did not respond well once he tasted his own blood. To wager on him in this one, you’d have to hope that he could sail home safe from harm, and against a hardcore hand thrower of Marquez’s ilk, I fail to see how that can be possible.

The Queensbury Rules - Bottom To Top: Previews And Predictions For Juan Manuel Marquez Vs. Juan Diaz II (And Its Undercard)

My view is that Marquez has more in the tank than Diaz, because even at a higher weight Diaz should never have been wobbled by light-punching Malignaggi the way he was. Diaz' combination of traits -- super-aggressive but without much power -- is a recipe for him to take beatings even in wins. And even if Diaz fights smarter, it's not clear how well he can do it; he was more conservative than his usual all-out attack in his last fight and it didn't go great for him.

The Boxing Tribune - Why No Hype?

I am not saying there is a potential trilogy in the making here as I don’t see Diaz being able to beat Marquez with his style. But I guarantee you one thing, excitement–and that’s all we ever ask for when watching the sweet science. People seem to forget that just a year ago this was FOTY. Neither man has changed that much, Diaz moved up in weight and fought Malginaggi twice and Marquez lost a non-competitive decision to Mayweather. However, neither really took alot of punishment. The only real difference is that both fighters know their weight limit is around 135lbs and they are both a year older.

ESPN - Juan Diaz adamant he will show improvement

In conversation, Marquez marveled that Diaz had been "so fast" on that night, but Diaz himself offered a less than glowing appraisal of his performance. "I fought like an amateur," he said. "I kept leaning over, falling over, squaring up, giving Marquez an easy target. But this time around, I'm going to be more professional about it. I'm going to apply pressure, but smart pressure, make sure that I have my defense, and throw the correct punches."

The Huffington Post - FINALLY - SOMETHING TO CHEER ABOUT IN BOXING: MARQUEZ-DIAZ II

A left hook artist, Diaz revealed, " The last time I was aggressive - which I always have to be with my style. But I wasn't thinking. I was much too square and easy to hit. And Marquez is such a smart fighter. I was just rushing in, he turned and found an angle and I got caught. In this fight, I have to think and be aggressive at the same time." At the suggestion that aggression and calmness are not exactly a natural pair, Diaz chuckled and noted, "That's true but you can be both. I am going to be both on fight night - calm and aggressive."

Joseph R. Holzer previews Saturday night's HBO PPV undercard.

The televised undercards of Saturday night's lightweight championship rematch will be fought with heavy hands as well as heavy hearts.

After a series of injuries that amounted to Jorge Linares stepping between the ropes just four times since 2007, the Tokyo-based Venezuelan will face hard-hitting Rocky Juarez in a lightweight bout.

Linares (28-1, 18 KOs), once a red-hot prospect and now a legitimate title contender, is seeking his second-consecutive victory since his lone defeat, a shocking first-round knockout at the hands of Juan Carlos Salgado in October. A victory could put the 24-year-old in place to vie for the 135-pound strap on the line in the main event between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz.

Juarez, on the other hand, is boxing's equivalent of the bridesmaid. The soft-spoken Houston native (28-6-1, 20 KOs) is a perennial title-challenger who is 0-4-1 in major championship bouts. He is seemingly at the plateau of his career if not in decline but remains a dangerous opponent with his thunderous right hand.

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