By Jake Donovan - Last year, the question asked was, Joel Casamayor or Juan Diaz. This year, it’s Juan Manuel Marquez or Nate Campbell.
The names have changed atop the division, but the question remains the same: who is currently the best lightweight in the world?
In theory, the answer to that question should be a given for a division that boasts a lineal champion that’s presently very high on about every respectable pound for pound list. If it were that simple, then Juan Manuel Marquez removed all doubt after his knockout of Joel Casamayor this past September.
The problem is, nothing is ever that simple. Not to mention, the issue stands a great chance of being further magnified after a pair of lightweight bouts (Campbell-Ali Funeka and Marquez-Diaz) take place two weeks apart on HBO next February, similar to how separate results three weeks apart this past March offered few answers and raised even more questions.
At this same point last year, the cause for then-undefeated multi-belted Juan Diaz being the world’s best lightweight picked up major steam. He was two months removed from his second straight successful unification match, having forced Julio Diaz to quit on his stool after eight rounds, six months after having forced Acelino Freitas to bow in the exact same fashion. [details]
The names have changed atop the division, but the question remains the same: who is currently the best lightweight in the world?
In theory, the answer to that question should be a given for a division that boasts a lineal champion that’s presently very high on about every respectable pound for pound list. If it were that simple, then Juan Manuel Marquez removed all doubt after his knockout of Joel Casamayor this past September.
The problem is, nothing is ever that simple. Not to mention, the issue stands a great chance of being further magnified after a pair of lightweight bouts (Campbell-Ali Funeka and Marquez-Diaz) take place two weeks apart on HBO next February, similar to how separate results three weeks apart this past March offered few answers and raised even more questions.
At this same point last year, the cause for then-undefeated multi-belted Juan Diaz being the world’s best lightweight picked up major steam. He was two months removed from his second straight successful unification match, having forced Julio Diaz to quit on his stool after eight rounds, six months after having forced Acelino Freitas to bow in the exact same fashion. [details]
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