By Jake Donovan
Photo © Tom Casino/SHOWTIME
The Arizona State Sun Devils came up short in their biggest game of this college football season Saturday evening, but the night of action at the Desert Diamond Casino gave Arizona sports fans plenty to cheer about. It was a thorough 12-round domination by Juan Manuel Marquez and an early night's work for Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero, both of whom provided for an explosive, albeit lopsided, night of action on SHOWTIME.
The 12-round domination of Ricardo Rocky Juarez wasn't as easy as Marquez made it appear. Juarez, cut in the opening round from an unintentional headbutt, had a rough go of it throughout. His fighting heart showed as he never stopped trying, to where Marquez knew he was in a fight. It was just one of those nights where Marquez was always a step ahead.
In other words, Marquez being Marquez. Dominant from one to twelve, humble afterwards.
"I'm just very happy for this victory," said Marquez - in perfect English – after the fight. "I knew going in, Rocky Juarez was a strong fighter and that this could be a dangerous fight. He hurt me a couple of times, and I knew I had to be at my best to beat him."
Marquez might be somewhat past his prime, but he is born again in terms of dominating opposition. Eight months after his turn-back-the-clock performance against Marco Antonio Barrera, Marquez reminded the boxing world why he is regarded as one of the game's pound-for-pound best. There wasn't a punch he didn't land – rapid-fire jabs early, straight rights and brutal uppercut late, and left hooks to the head and chin for good measure, and he even managed to play defense along the way.
"My only plan was to make it a smart fight," insists Marquez, and it was mission accomplished and then some. "I wanted to fight an intelligent fight."
Juarez had ideas of his own, but it went out the window after suffering the opening round cut.
"I didn't know how bad the cut was, but I could feel that it was severe enough that it probably did affect my performance," said a dejected Juarez (27-4, 19KO), who loses in his third bid at an alphabet title, all at 130. "I would love a rematch with him. I know what it takes, and I know that if I get him again, I can come out on top."
Not to doubt The Rock, but even when he did well, Marquez managed to do better. So much that one judge had it a shutout, while the other two judges were a little kinder, awarding Juarez two and three rounds on their scorecards.
There were rounds where Juarez had his moments, early in the fight, and a little more in the second half. A left hook in the seventh round reminded Marquez that just because he was pitching a virtual shutout, that Juarez wasn't still playing to win. The Houston-based puncher tried to carry over the momentum in the eighth, including another left hook that appeared to finally turn the tide. All it did was wake up Marquez, who came right back with an uppercut toward rounds end.
As the fight wore on, the blood flowed from Juarez' left eye, along with his right eye showing severe signs of swelling. Marquez didn't leave the ring unscathed, his right eye also marked up. The difference was, Marquez' wounds didn't affect his performance. Nor did he ever ease up off of the gas, driving Juarez across the ring into the ropes with a straight right hand late in the eleventh. His power and aggression was enough to create distance in the events Marquez needed to play defense, which he did well in the 12 th, though still fighting even though the fight was long ago off of the table for his challenger.
Official scores in the end were 120-108, 118-110, and 117-111.
Marquez cruises to 48-3-1 (35KO) with the win, his fourth straight since being on the wrong end of a highly controversial decision last year in Indonesia against Chris John. Marquez has won all three of his bouts under the Golden Boy Promotions banner, but there's only win he wants – and next.
"I definitely want Manny Pacquiao," insisted Marquez, who recovered from three first-round knockdowns to outbox Pacquiao over the next eleven before settling for a split decision draw in their May 2004 instant classic. "He claims that he's the Mexican killer. He beat (Erik) Morales, he beat (Marco Antonio) Barrera. But he never beat me. If he wants to be the best, then he must fight and beat me to do it.
"Manny Pacquiao is who I want next"
If all goes well, Marquez may get his wish in the first quarter of 2008.
"Bob Arum and I have been aggressively negotiating this bout," announced Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, who made their promotional debut with America's #1 Fight Network with this telecast. "We have March 15, 2008 set aside as a potential date for this fight. With Pacquiao and Marquez both getting their challenges out of the way, Bob and I can resume negotiations."
Schaefer's business partner was more emphatic in his desire to finalize the fight.
"There is only one fight at 130 lb. that matters," insisted Oscar de la Hoya, though perhaps momentarily forgetting about the November 17 Joan Guzman-Humberto Soto bout he will co-promote with Top Rank. "Manny Pacquiao cannot call himself the best 130 lb. in the world until he once again faces Juan Manuel Marquez. It is the one fight that can truly determine a super featherweight champion, and it must happen for the good of boxing."
De la Hoya also insisted he will continue his relationship with Showtime for the same reasons.
"Of course I'm still doing business with HBO," said Oscar in his best efforts to handle the juggling act. "But as far as big time boxing goes, it's HBO AND Showtime. I look forward to continue working with HBO of course, just as I can now proudly say that I look forward to continuing my relationship with Showtime for many years to come."
One fighter on the show who was proud to return to Showtime was the victor of the co-feature, Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero. Though, he didn't allow the homecoming to last very long, having demolished Martin Honorio with a single left hand early in the first round of their scheduled twelve.
The win was short and sweet, just the type of ending Guerrero needed after enduring an emotional roller coaster ride all week long. With his wife, Casey, diagnosed with leukemia earlier in the week and beginning chemotherapy, Guerrero found his strength and inspiration long before the opening bell.
"Before the fight started, I said 'This is for you, Casey,'" said Guerrero (21-1-1, 14KO), who scored the quickest knockout of his rising career. "I said that I was doing it for her, for my kids and for anyone who has sickness out there. Before the fight, I dedicated this one to cancer patients all around the world. And most of all to my beautiful wife, I love you."
The dedication was longer than the performance attached with it. But that tends to happen when a puncher as devastating as Guerrero comes in with extra motivation. In the end, all it took was a single chopping left hand to put Honorio on queer street.
"I saw him lunging with his head. We have been working on short, chopping left hands and he walked right into it."
Honorio (24-4-1, 13KO) went straight down, though to his credit somehow mustered up the wherewithal to rise to his feet. His problem was keeping them in place, as the usually durable and scrappy Mexican instead stumbled across the ring and into the ropes, prompting referee Tony Weeks to stop the contest, just :56 into the opening round.
Of course, Guerrero knew the fight was over the moment the shot landed.
"After I looked into his eyes, I saw that he was out."
Guerrero couldn't have been more pleased, getting some much-needed breathing room in an emotionally-taxing week.
"I would like to thank Jesus Christ. It's been tough, because opponents changed, fights were cancelled, my wife was diagnosed with leukemia. She told me to come out to fight, and that's just what I did. I dedicate this fight to my wife, she's a strong woman and doing well after her first chemo session."
Guerrero's strange journey actually began three months ago. Originally scheduled to face Juarez on September 15, Honorio was inserted as a late replacement after Juarez was summoned to challenge Marquez in the PPV to replace medically suspended Jorge Barrios. The card was postponed after Marquez suffered a cut and infection on his right hand.
Fast forward six weeks later, where Guerrero, drained after traveling back and forth between Tucson and his hometown of Gilroy, CA to be with his wife, showed up 1 ½ lb. over the featherweight limit at Friday's weigh-in.
Most fighter would take it as a sign that some things weren't meant to be. Guerrero, deeply religious, saw it as his faith being put to the test.
"My faith in Jesus Christ is strong, and there was never a question in my mind that I would make it through all of this," insisted Guerrero. "What helped me the most was when I was talking to my wife, and she said to me, "So, when are you going back out to the fight?" That's when I knew everything would turn out for the best."
He couldn't have asked for a better ending. Though in terms of featherweight – and perhaps someday, super featherweight – supremacy, Guerrero saw it as just the beginning. Next stop? Perhaps the future Hall of Famer that dominated the main event.
"Marquez is going to be going down as a legend. I wanted to make sure I stayed close to watch the fight (with Juarez). It's a fight that I want. Him or Manny Pacquiao. If not them, then any of the other featherweight titlists."
Until those fights materialize, Robert and Casey Guerrero can take comfort in knowing they've already won the fight that matters the most: survival and recovery.
