by Geoffrey Ciani – Juan Manuel Marquez (51-5-1, 37 KOs) long lived in the shadows of fellow countrymen Marco Antonio Barrera (66-7, 43 KOs) and Erik Morales (49-6, 34 KOs). While Marquez was stuck on the outside looking in, Barrera and Morales celebrated high profile careers in the limelight. The pinnacle for Barrera and Morales came in the form of three grueling match-ups against one another in what many now view as one of the greatest trilogies in boxing history.
The high profile wars that defined Morales’ and Barrera’s careers would ultimately catch up with them. This enabled Marquez to finally escape from their shadows and he became recognized as an elite level boxer in his own right. Marquez’s rise in star-power corresponded with the decline of his two fellow countrymen. The Marquez-Barrera match from March 2007 perfectly illustrates this point. Despite being five months younger, the battle-worn Barrera seemed reluctant to pull the trigger. He was unable (or unwilling) to take the necessary risks he needed to emerge victorious. Marquez was willing to take such risks and it enabled him to win most of the rounds, all of which were extremely close. Had Barrera done just a little more, the outcome may well have been different.
Last night Marquez scored a unanimous decision victory in his rematch against Juan Diaz (35-4, 17 KOs) to successfully defend the WBA/WBO lightweight titles. Marquez proved that he is still a sound fundamental fighter with impeccable counter-punching abilities. He was able to successfully erase the memory of his lopsided loss at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Junior (41-0, 25 KOs) last September. Marquez was far too small for Mayweather and had no absolutely business fighting anywhere near the welterweight limit and it showed. Against Diaz, however, he proved that he was still an elite talent and that he is the man to beat in the lightweight division.
Despite the victory, Marquez has begun showing signs of decline over the past two years and last night was no exception. After losing a close decision in his rematch against Filipino sensation Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), Marquez made the jump up to 135. This was when he really began to noticeably slow down. Even though he scored dramatic late round knockout victories against Joel Cassamayor (37-5-1, 22 KOs) and Juan Diaz, he appeared a little slower, his punches did not seem as sharp, and there were times when he appeared confused and even overwhelmed. He was beginning to look as battle-worn as his two fellow Mexicans did around the time Marquez crossed the threshold into superstardom. In his rematch with Diaz last night, he was technically sound, but he appeared to fade down the stretch and did not fight with the same intensity he once did.
Marquez’s fade in recent years not only resembles the type suffered by Barrera and Morales several years back, but it also comes at a time when Barrera and Morales are both mounting comebacks of their own. In late June, Barrera defeated Adailton De Jesus (26-5, 21 KOs) by unanimous decision victory and he looked pretty impressive doing it, especially considering that he came in at a career high of 141 pounds. Barrera still showed the patience and skills of a technical master. Three months earlier, El Terrible made a comeback of his own and held on for a unanimous decision win against Jose Alfaro (23-6, 20 KOs) at the welterweight limit. Morales still had that warrior mentality that fans once adored, and despite fading in the later rounds, he showed some moments of brilliance that were reminiscent of the Morales of old.
While many might argue that Marquez still has a lot more left in the tank than Barrera or Morales, the truth is, they all seem shopworn to the point that any one of them would be competitive against another. The trio of Mexican warriors all expressed some interest in getting another crack at Pacquiao. This is ill-advised for all of them at this point. Morales had just enough left in the tank to outpoint Pacquiao in their first encounter, but was worn down and knocked out early in his two return bouts. Barrera was thoroughly outclassed by Pacquiao both times they squared off. Neither of those two are deserving of a shot at Pacquiao. The one who might be most deserving is Marquez, who managed a controversial draw and a close decision loss. However, Marquez has faded considerably since they last fought whereas Pacquiao has gone on a legendary tear through the higher weight classes. In all likelihood, Pacquiao would prove too much for these aging battle-ridden warriors.
What if Marquez fought Erik Morales? After all, Morales and Marquez are two marquee names that never squared off. Both faced Barrera and Pacquiao, but never each other. What if Marquez had a rematch with Barrera? When they first fought, Barrera was clearly past his best whereas Marquez was still a fresh fighter. Unlike the first time they met, both have now seen better days and are certainly more evenly matched. Many fans might simply assume that Barrera and Morales would be no contest for Marquez at this point, but the facts suggest otherwise. All three Mexicans have seen better days and are all campaigning well above their best fighting weights. They have all provided us with many exciting fights over the years, and the potential for them to provide more excitement yet remains.
While it is true that Marquez probably has his sights set on bigger and better, Barrera and Morales both serve as interesting alternatives.
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