What are the Keys to Marquez/Diaz II?
When Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan Diaz squared off in February 2009, the results were electric. Marquez eventually stopped Diaz in the ninth round, but not before the two fighters put on a bout that was eventually named Fight of the Year by Ring Magazine. Diaz controlled the fight early but Marquez gained the upper hand in the middle rounds. The fight featured several big exchanges between the two, but it was a three-punch flurry by Marquez in the ninth round which eventually sealed the fight.
With the excitement that came from their previous meeting, it’s almost inevitable that the two fighters would meet for a rematch. However, when Marquez and Diaz meet in Las Vegas on July 31 for a second contest, they will do so in significantly different circumstances than they did the first time around. Both fighters are coming off losses in their last fights and are in need of an impressive victory in order to re-establish their credentials as an elite fighter.
For Marquez, he needs to prove that he is still the best lightweight in the world, and a convincing victory over Diaz would go a long way to do that. Even though he dropped his last fight when Floyd Mayweather Jr. handed him a lopsided unanimous decision defeat last September, that fight was hardly a fair representation of his skills - Marquez moved up two weight classes from lightweight to welterweight to take on Mayweather Jr. and clearly was outmuscled along with having trouble maintaining his speed with the extra weight.
Diaz enters the bout in even more dire straits than Marquez. Since losing to Marquez, Diaz fought twice against Paulie Malignaggi. Their first bout was a close unanimous decision victory in September 2009 (which was likely closer than the scores indicated) while Malignaggi won the rematch four months later. A win against Marquez would prove that Diaz is not on the downside of his career.
So what is it going to take to win this contest? There are several factors that will be important for each fighters as they craft a game plan which they hopes will lead them to victory. Here is a brief look at a few of the keys to victory in the fight:
Counter Punching: Marquez is one of the best counter punchers in the world and that was what carried him over the top against Diaz in their first meeting. While Diaz was able to land some solid punches in the first few rounds, Marquez took control in the middle rounds on by being able to time Diaz’s punches and land counter shots of his own.
Diaz is a very repetitive fighter who tends to throw punches in a methodical, predictable pattern. If he is going to keep Marquez from eating him alive with counter punches, he needs to be able to change his pattern of punches and be less predictable to keep Marquez guessing.
Working Inside: One way that Diaz can be effective against Marquez is to box on the inside. Neither fighter is great from the inside, but fighting in close quarters is particularly difficult for Marquez since it makes it tough for him to counter effectively. By getting chest to chest and making it an inside fight, Diaz can smother and tie up Marquez before he gets the chance to counter.
Pace and Stamina: Along with Marquez getting comfortable with the timing of Diaz’s punches, stamina and conditioning also appeared to be a factor in why Marquez came on strong as the fight progressed. Diaz is an active fighter but he appeared to punch himself out in the early rounds against Marquez. While Marquez is vulnerable in the early rounds of fights, Diaz needs to plan for a longer fight and hope that the 10-year age difference becomes a factor as the bout goes into the final rounds.
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