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Well I can't wait for tomorrow lunch-time when it all starts happening in Vegas. I live for boxing events like this one. It used to be great up in the Northern Territory, getting out of bed at 9am for a champagne and beer breakfast (with nibblies) watching the likes of Pacquiao, Mayweather, Cotto, Mosley et al go to war. Marveling at the speed, skill and courage of these guys. Completely caught up in their world.
I remember trudging up George Street here in Sydney, hungover in 2005 for Beyer-Green 2. Watching Danny die a death of a thousand cuts against a revived Beyer. Beyer, humiliated in the first fight, showed his toughness surviving Green's violent assault in the 12th through a haze of concussion and exhaustion. Later knocked out by Mikkel Kessler in three rounds. So many reasons I love the Australian Sunday morning of an American fight weekend. Or a fight weekend anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere when the good **** goes down.
I sincerely hope the Juans Marquez and Diaz put on a show that exceeds the first, but I won't hold it to heart if it's a lesser spectacle.
Marquez's high ambitions are still realistic despite his advancing years. His stated aim of fighting for a title at 140 to become the first Mexican 4-division champion means he'll probaby fight Amir Khan in a GBP fight.
I hate this fight for Marquez. Like B-Hops, his stature in the sport should allow him the privilege of choosing any fighter in that division whoever their promoter is. They're all young guys who'd relish a shot at him. Equally, if Juan Manuel wants a lucrative fight against Erik Morales or Ricky Hatton - big names whose prime times have passed - I won't hold that against him either. Whether he's chasing history, money or both, he's got to win this weekend to make it happen.
Juan Diaz is fighting primarily for revenge. Coming face-to-face with a guy who knocked you out in front of your own fans - 15,000 of 'em - is likely to steel something in your blood. I think the Malignaggi fights were management errors. Diaz was the latest knock-out victim returning against the brittle fists of Malignaggi. Paulie proved he was more than the fall-back patsy of every vanquished ring assassin, but had nothing Diaz wanted and thus met a sub-standard version of the usually frenetic Houston brawler.
So who do you choose in a fight between a guy chasing history and a guy wanting revenge? If it gets into the trenches like the first fight did, I favour the guy chasing revenge. Revenge is a motivation one never loses sight of, whereas history is a heavy burden to chase, and easier to forget when things are going wrong and immediate survival is the order of the day.
Marquez isn't chasing history with this particular fight. It won't generate the big, big dollars of a UK Hatton fight, the parochial grudge-fest a Morales fight, nor the personal enmity of facing Pacquiao again. Juan Manuel is once more in a big fight between a bigger fight, but this is usually when he's most dangerous. Every flush shot landed is a victory for Diaz, and an incentive for landing more. Will early successes lure him from the more disciplined strategy that can win him this fight?
Dunno peoples, but drank a few Coopers ales thinking about this ****. Bring on Sunday morning Sydney time. Beer for breakfast and boxing for lunch.
I remember trudging up George Street here in Sydney, hungover in 2005 for Beyer-Green 2. Watching Danny die a death of a thousand cuts against a revived Beyer. Beyer, humiliated in the first fight, showed his toughness surviving Green's violent assault in the 12th through a haze of concussion and exhaustion. Later knocked out by Mikkel Kessler in three rounds. So many reasons I love the Australian Sunday morning of an American fight weekend. Or a fight weekend anywhere in the Northern Hemisphere when the good **** goes down.
I sincerely hope the Juans Marquez and Diaz put on a show that exceeds the first, but I won't hold it to heart if it's a lesser spectacle.
Marquez's high ambitions are still realistic despite his advancing years. His stated aim of fighting for a title at 140 to become the first Mexican 4-division champion means he'll probaby fight Amir Khan in a GBP fight.
I hate this fight for Marquez. Like B-Hops, his stature in the sport should allow him the privilege of choosing any fighter in that division whoever their promoter is. They're all young guys who'd relish a shot at him. Equally, if Juan Manuel wants a lucrative fight against Erik Morales or Ricky Hatton - big names whose prime times have passed - I won't hold that against him either. Whether he's chasing history, money or both, he's got to win this weekend to make it happen.
Juan Diaz is fighting primarily for revenge. Coming face-to-face with a guy who knocked you out in front of your own fans - 15,000 of 'em - is likely to steel something in your blood. I think the Malignaggi fights were management errors. Diaz was the latest knock-out victim returning against the brittle fists of Malignaggi. Paulie proved he was more than the fall-back patsy of every vanquished ring assassin, but had nothing Diaz wanted and thus met a sub-standard version of the usually frenetic Houston brawler.
So who do you choose in a fight between a guy chasing history and a guy wanting revenge? If it gets into the trenches like the first fight did, I favour the guy chasing revenge. Revenge is a motivation one never loses sight of, whereas history is a heavy burden to chase, and easier to forget when things are going wrong and immediate survival is the order of the day.
Marquez isn't chasing history with this particular fight. It won't generate the big, big dollars of a UK Hatton fight, the parochial grudge-fest a Morales fight, nor the personal enmity of facing Pacquiao again. Juan Manuel is once more in a big fight between a bigger fight, but this is usually when he's most dangerous. Every flush shot landed is a victory for Diaz, and an incentive for landing more. Will early successes lure him from the more disciplined strategy that can win him this fight?
Dunno peoples, but drank a few Coopers ales thinking about this ****. Bring on Sunday morning Sydney time. Beer for breakfast and boxing for lunch.
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