By Mark Vester
WBA/WBO lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez is going through the toughest training camp of his career. Over the weekend, he sparred for twelve hard rounds in the Mexican heat as trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristáin pushed him on. Marquez is preparing for the biggest fight of his career, against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on September 19 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Marquez sparred three rounds a piece with Roberto Norris, Juan Manuel Montiel, Antonio Fernandez, and Alejandro Barrera.
"This has been a hard test. I feel satisfied to have done this work. After twelve intense rounds I don't feel tired. One must take into account that I worked with six-ounces gloves, and one must also add the strong heat of the gymnasium," Marquez said to ESTO.
Marquez said that for the last few weeks, he worked on strength. Now he is working on speed. The fight he watched several times over was Mayweather's bout with Zab Judah. He saw the way Judah used body shots and quick combinations to trouble Mayweather in the early rounds.
"This week we began to work on speed and that is what I need to beat Mayweather. Also I am training to strike to the body. It's rare that anyone hit him to the body. Zab Judah did it, and I am also going to do it. Judah worked with feints, lateral movements, and that is the way to achieve it, in spite of the fact that Mayweather plants himself sideways, and a lot of resources to neutralize his opponent," Marquez said.
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