By Ernest Gabion

It won’t follow in the footsteps of its predecessor, which was 2009's Fight of the Year. But the 12-round lightweight championship rematch between Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz was far from a letdown, as Marquez added another superb performance to his legendary career with a well-earned unanimous decision at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday evening.

Scores were 116-112 118-110 117-111 for Marquez, who makes the second successful defense of the lineal championship he wrested from Joel Casamayor nearly two years ago.

Both fighters worked their strengths in the early going. For Diaz, it was a whirlwind of activity and movement that has overwhelmed who have stood in front of him. For Marquez, it is an assassin type approach, picking apart game plans as easy as any other fighter in the game today. 

While Marquez for the most part dominated, it wasn’t without taking punishment himself. For as technically sound as Marquez is, Diaz seems to have his number. The Houston native caught him cleaner and more often than just about any other fighter not named Floyd Mayweather.

This fight was more on a technical level and while it kept Diaz in the game, trying to match boxing profiency with a master like Marquez is hardly a recipe for success.  This was no different for Diaz who tried to box more this time out. It was a catch 22 situation for Diaz – does he box and hope to stay in the fight, or try and get inside of Marquez knowing he could take more punishment but give more in return? 

Early on, Diaz seemed to have found a new successful weapon early on using a crisp jab reddening Marquez' face.  Marquez in turn is so adept at what he does that even with Diaz' early round success you can sense Marquez was still in control of the fight.

Largely forgotten was Diaz' inside game and while this may have kept Diaz upright, it took away from the effectiveness he had in the first fight never really hurting Marquez and in turn keeping him in Marquez' office.

This pattern held true from the fourth round onward. While Diaz had some success landing and marking up his opponent’s face in the process, Marquez began to hunt down the game Baby Bull, putting together the beautiful combinations that brought him the victory in their first clash. 

The fifth and sixth rounds were the same, as Diaz was unable to prevent Marquez from inflicting damage from the outside.

Marquez hurt Diaz in the sevent, connecting with a right hand over the top forcing Diaz to keep away for the rest of the round.  Diaz absorbed more punishment in the eighth and ninth rounds, but wasn’t prepared to roll over and play dead.

A sense of letdown was evident in Diaz’ demeanor as the rounds hit double digits, but never to the point of resignation. The former lightweight titlist picked up the intensity, treating Marquez’ swollen eye as a bullseye as he looked to dial in with his left hooks. The strategy backfired, instead playing right into the game plan of Marquez, who picked apart the future lawyer for his troubles.

It was anticipated that neither fighter would leave anything behind in the 12th and final round. Neither Juan disappointed in that regard. It was a fitting end to a very good fight for two fighters who have provided boxing fans with 21 rounds of entertainment at the sport’s highest level.

In the end, it’s only Marquez who remains at the elite level. It was a much needed big win for the soon-to-be 37 year old, who improves to 51-5-1 (37KO). The victory is his first since he and Diaz met in their Fight of the Year some 17 months ago.

Diaz falls to 35-4 (17KO), with all four of his career losses coming in his past six fights.
 
Marquez stated a third fight with Manny Pacquiao is his number one priority, even offering his services for the November 13th date Pacquiao has with Antonio Margarito. Marquez is the fighter Golden Boy would like to face WBA 140-pound champion Amir Khan on December 11, but the Mexican warrior has other plans.

“A trilogy with Pacquiao is what I want and should happen,” Marquez said after his second straight win over Diaz. “It's for the Mexican and Filipino fight fans it's my number one priority. I will be ready to fight again in November and hopefully Pacquiao takes the fight with me.”

As anticipated of a fight as it would be, the likelihood of it actually happening is highly unlikely – and perhaps a good thing for Marquez, who was physically in the worst condition of his career when he weighed 142 for his fight with Mayweather last September.

If it’s history he’s after, Marquez would perhaps be better served pursuing a title at 140 in efforts to become the first Mexican to win championships in four separate weight classes.

Diaz was far more cryptic in what his intentions are for the immediate future and beyond, though some of his post-fight quotes appear to be in line with the pre-fight belief that he’s perhaps looking invest more time into his pending law career than that as a boxer.

“I am going to sit down with my team and decide what to do but I am taking the LSAT,” Diaz said after the fight. “Keep in mind, I have been fighting for ten years, more than a lot of fighters have.

"I just want to think about (the future) before I make a decision. I am not going to say tonight whether I will fight again.”

PIROG SHOCKS JACOBS WITH ONE-PUNCH KO FOR VACANT MIDDLEWEIGHT STRAP

What most viewed as the most intriguing fight of the night from a pick-‘em standpoint quickly became its most shocking result as Russian import Dmitry Pirog scored a devastating one-punch fifth round knockout over Daniel Jacobs in a matchup of unbeaten middleweight contenders.

Pirog stalked Jacobs from the outset, forcing the Brooklyn native in retreat mode for most of the night. After a shaky start, Jacobs settled down in the third round or so and was able to fight on what was perceived at ringside to be on even terms.

All of that changed in the fifth, when a lazy jab by Jacobs was left out too long. Pirog came behind it with a booming right hand that put Jacobs down and out. Referee Robert Byrd began his mandatory count, but stopped at five once he realized Jacobs wasn’t getting up any time soon, much less be in any condition to continue.

The official time was 0:57 of the fifth round.

Pirog improves to 17-0 (14KO) with the win, picking up a vacant alphabet middleweight strap in the process. It was an impressive showing by the Russian, who was making his stateside debut after having spent his entire career in his native Russia as well as Germany. He entered the fight as a virtually mystery to most in the states, save for whatever YouTube clips were available. It’s safe to say that he will be in higher demand after this fight.

For Jacobs, it’s back to the drawing board. The former amateur standout suffers his first defeat in a pro career less than three years old as he falls to 20-1 (17KO). It was admirable for him to even enter the ring, proceeding with the fight even with his grandmother Cordelia “Lady Bird” Jacobs passing away last weekend. Still, personal excuses aside, the same flaws that were evident early in his career – lazy jab, shoeshine punches and keeping a low guard – ultimately came back to haunt him in a big way.

GUERRERO OVERCOMES LATE KNOCKDOWN TO OUTLAST CASAMAYOR

Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero was able to overcome fighting at the heaviest weight of his young career as well as a late knockdown to turn back the challenge of former two-division champion Joel Casamayor with a unanimous decision.

Scores were 98-89 (twice) and 97-90 in their 10-round televised prelim.

The fight itself was an interesting contrast in both styles and career positioning. It can be argued that we’ve yet to see the best of Guerrero, whereas Casamayor is clearly at the end of his career yet continues to prove to be a tough out for anyone in his way.

Unfortunately for the Cuban, the crossroads bout wouldn’t prove to be a turn-back-the-clock moment. Guerrero was too young, too fresh and too good for the veteran boxer, riding work rate and pressure to hurt Casamayor with flush left hands upstairs.

Casamayor danced as hard as he could to weather the storm every time out an occasionally land lead lefts, but it’s clear that his best days are deep in the rearview. His craftiness kept him in the fight, but Guerrero’s youth and aggression proved to be too much to overcome.

A flash knockdown in the tenth and final round – courtesy of a Casamayor jab – provided brief moments of drama, but never to the point where it appeared that Guerrero would throw away the fight.

With the win, Guerrero improves to 26-1-1 (18KO). Four straight wins in three separate weight classes have followed his two-round no-contest against Daud Cino Yordan more than a year ago, though a trip back down to lightweight appears to be in his immediate future.

For Casamayor, it’s clear that the bristles have been worn off of this “Cepillo” (brush). The aged veteran falls to 37-5-1 (22KO), having lost two of his last three bouts.

LINARES HANDLES JUAREZ OVER TEN

Jorge Linares opened the pay-per-view portion of the telecast with a 10-round decision win over Rocky Juarez in a lightweight crossroads bout.

It was a must-win scenario for both fighters, but Linares (now 28-1, 18KO) was the one who made all of the necessary adjustments in order to help further distance himself from the embarrassing one-round knockout he suffered a year ago. The Venezuelan boxed beautifully throughout, handily overwhelming Juarez and also flooring him in the fifth round.

As the rounds wore on, frustration further set in on the face of Juarez (28-6-1, 20KO). Old habits proved to die hard for the one-time silver medalist for the 2000 U.S. Olympic boxing squad. At no point during the first eight or so rounds did the Houston native let his hands go or jump out to the quick start he and his promotional outfit (Golden Boy Promotions) promised would be the case this time around, despite chants of “Rocky” filling the arena.

Instead, it was a predictable late surge from Juarez, who finally woke up in the ninth and tenth rounds. By then, the damage had long been done, as all he managed was to avoid being shut out on the scorecards.

Scores read 99-90 (twice) and 97-92 for Linares, who has now won two straight.

Juarez had a little bit of momentum based on the controversial nature of his questionable split decision loss to Jason Litzau, but it’s now going on two years since his last win, with this fight all but serving as his final time in the spotlight as there are only so many last chances one fighter can be afforded.