By Jake Donovan
There are plenty of reasons to beat up on the alphabet organizations, but there comes a moment every so often where even their harshest critics should simply shut up and offer temporary support.
Efforts to keep things moving in the lightweight division would mark such an occasion.
From the moment it became obvious that Juan Manuel Marquez wasn’t going to secure a third fight with longtime rival Manny Pacquiao any time soon, the next move should’ve been a no-brainer: drop back down to the division that calls you champion.
One of the sanctioning bodies that currently recognizes the future Hall of Famer as their champion (in addition to his more significant claim as the lineal lightweight king) has ordered a mandatory defense against all-action Australian banger Michael Katsidis.
This is the part where everyone shuts up, ignores the messenger and embraces the message.
More lucrative options have been discussed for Marquez, such as perhaps yet another catchweight fight. This one would come against former junior welterweight king Ricky Hatton, who hasn’t fought since getting knocked out by Pacquiao last May and by most accounts not in any kind of shape these days other than round.
Even if Hatton was ready to fight sometime in the next few months, dollars don’t always necessarily mean it makes sense. That much should’ve been learned the last time Marquez fought beyond his effective fighting weight.
Never before had Marquez looked so vulnerable than was the case when he fattened up to a career-high 142 lb. for last September’s catchweight bout with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Few gave Marquez a chance of winning very many rounds, never mind the fight itself, and respected the move for what it was – an opportunity for a career-high payday.
After being battered and beaten for 12 rounds like never before, it was assumed that he would return to the lightweight division, where he’s reigned as lineal champion since stopping Joel Casamayor in September 2008.
Even better was the fact that his next potential opponent was not only lined up, but had already offered Marquez and the viewing audience a live audition. Michael Katsidis appeared in a preliminary slot on the Mayweather-Marquez pay-per-view telecast, delivering one of the finest performances of his career in a well-earned decision win over Vicente Escobedo.
That both already appeared on such a highly visible card (drawing more than 1 million pay-per-view buys) saves the trouble of having to invest more money in a build-up card. Given that neither fighter is ever guaranteed to escape from any given fight free of plasma or additional wear and tear, cutting immediately to the chase will be in the best interest of all parties involved.
Such a fight also begs for the old saying, “there’s no time like the present.”
After years of debating who is the champ versus who is the best at lightweight, the division finally received a single answer for both questions. Marquez emphatically closed the book on both topics with his stirring ninth round knockout of Juan Diaz in what many publications (including Boxingscene.com) regard as the 2009’s Fight of the Year.
With a clear leader to point to, it’s too easy for everyone else to stand in line and wait their turn. Instead, the top players in the division have decided to pursue their fair share of glory the old fashioned way – by earning it.
Next month brings an exciting alphabet title fight between Edwin Valero and Antonio DeMarco in a bout that pits a free-swinging knockout artist against a fast-rising boxer-puncher. Presently in negotiation is a bout between top-rated contender Ali Funeka and comebacking Rolando Reyes.
Title defenses against any of the aforementioned won’t represent easy money by any means for Marquez, but will reestablish his dominance atop a division that is once again robust in talent. The term “superstar” may not exist once you get past the top spot, but certainly not lacking is the number of deserving contenders, present and future.
The current pulse of the sport suggests that Marquez needn’t worry about establishing a presence as the leading lightweight in the world. He’s 36, already a shoo-in for the Hall of Fame and has plenty of mileage on his odometer.
Surely, the amount of cash that figures to be on the table for a Hatton fight could prove too tempting to pass up. But there’s also this to think about: beyond a huge payday, such a fight represents nothing significant. It’s an expensive loser-leaves-town match, with no long-term goal for either.
There’s also this to think about: if such a fight is available for May, then there stands reason to believe that it will also be available later in the year, win lose or draw for Marquez should he face Katsidis.
It’s clear at this point that Hatton is enjoying life as a promoter far more than he is even considering one more run as the king of any particular division. If it means giving him more time to shed excess weight, it’d be hard to imagine the Brit being in a hurry to race back to training camp, especially for a fight that could spell the end of his career if he’s at anything less than peak fighting condition.
Such line of thinking would also give Marquez a chance to get momentum back on his side, rather than having both fighters enter such a big event on the heels of the worst performances of their respective careers.
It also saves the hassle of having to dump belts, renouncing title reigns, and leaving the lightweight division to have to reshuffle the deck in order to once again crown a king.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com .