The Sweet Science 08.27.09: Mayweather-Marquez

Posted by Igor Frank on 08.27.2009

Marquez vs. Mayweather heats up with a sizzling undercard. With the rest of the card finalized, fans will get a treat.


Photo by Tom Hogan-Hoganphotos / Golden Boy Promotions

Last week during a conference call Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions announced an exciting line up that will support a main event of Marquez versus Mayweather on September, 19th in Las Vegas' biggest stage, MGM Grand Garden Arena. Televised live by HBO Pay Per View, the event will feature featherweight title rematch between Rocky Juarez and Chris John, lightweight show down between Vicente Escobedo and Michael Katsidis and a special welterweight attraction with two veteran fighters, Zab Judah and Antonio Diaz. Each one of these bouts could headline an event all on its own, but put all of them together translates into excitement for the fans.

"I'm really proud to say that going back to 2000 when I started to get involved in boxing," said Richard Schaefer in his opening statement:" This really is the best under card I have seen so far of any promoter and any promotion. I really want to thank Floyd for the commitment to this card to really create that event within the event."

The old adage that styles make fights could not ring more true with these three added bouts. Let's take a look at them more closely.

WBA featherweight title rematch features a pure boxer in Indonesian, Chris John (42-0-2,22KO) against boxer puncher, Mexican-American, Olympic silver medalist, Rocky Juarez (28-4-1,20KO). I was ringside in Houston for their first bout, which was highly competitive and entertaining and created a lot of controversy. Many at ringside believed that Chris John completely out boxed and landed a lot more punches than Rocky and thus clearly won the fight. Others objected by saying that in professional boxing we measure the amount of damage inflicted and since all the meaningful blows were landed by Juarez, he is the one who should have been declared a winner. The most amazing thing about the first bout was that all three judges scored it the same 114-114, a draw. I would have to go through boxing record books, but I do not think these score cards were ever turned in the title fight before. The rematch was supposed to take place earlier this year in Los Angeles and headline an HBO card, but Chris John got an infection and had to pull out. So here we are. Would the rematch produce a clear winner or would the controversy continue? "They had a great championship fight in February of this year which was an action-packed, back and forth type of event which I believe people are really looking forward to," said Oscar De La Hoya:" Rocky knows that this is going to be one of his last opportunities to crown himself a world champion. I strongly feel this is one of those fights where it's do or die for both fighters. Chris John wants to really make a statement."

Next up is a can't miss lightweight showdown between US Olympian, Mexican- American, Vicente Escobedo (21-1, 13 KO'S) and blood and guts Australian warrior, Michael Katsidis (25-2, 21 KO'S). Ironically this contest is for an interim WBO lightweight championship, a title that Juan Manuel Marquez is temporarily setting aside in order to move up in weight to challenge Floyd Mayweather Junior. In theory, if Escobedo wins this bout he could fight his stable mate Juan Manuel Marquez for this title. Marquez and Escobedo are currently training in Mexico under a watchful eye of Nacho Berestain." I'm here in Mexico training well," said Escobedo:" This is something I've been waiting my whole life on. Ever since the Olympics, when I didn't win a medal. I was shooting for the gold medal and I didn't get it. This is another goal I want to accomplish so I'm happy to have this opportunity. I know there's going to be a huge Mexican crowd and it's going to be a fun night of boxing. So I'm very, very excited." Fans should be very excited as well, because this is yet another classic match up of a brawler versus boxer-puncher that is sure to produce a dynamic combat. Despite the fear of being redundant I would like to point out how styles make fights. Last year when Katsidis fought Juan Diaz many expected a fight of the year type of battle, but were disappointed, because they both had similar aggressive styles that did not mesh together. Even though it was a good fight it did not produce the fireworks many anticipated. But with the current counterparts with completely contrasting styles this is a match made in boxing fan's heaven. Both fighters have recorded impressive victories over veterans in April of this year during a lightweight tournament; Escobedo dominated a gritty veteran Carlos "Famoso" Hernandez and Katsidis impressively stopped Jesus Chavez. Would the superior boxing skills and new found toughness of Vicente Escobedo be enough or would non stop aggression of Katsidis make the difference?

And finally, last but not least is a veteran welterweight bout between Zab Super Judah (37-6,25KO) and California based Antonio Diaz (46-5-1,29KO). Contracted for 144 pounds this bout is not simply critical for both boxers, it is a fight for their professional careers; the winner gets an opportunity for another big pay day, the looser becomes irrelevant in a world of boxing." When they told me I was fighting Zab Judah I was excited," said Antonio Diaz: "Zab is a great fighter but it's a great opportunity for me to get back up there. I came back to boxing a year ago and I've been doing good. My body took the three year rest pretty well. I'm excited to go back in there - back in the ring and back in the spotlight."

"It took many years to finally have this kind of card, this kind of event again," said Richard Schaefer:" We really have to thank Floyd Mayweather for making the commitment, the financial commitment, to put this kind of fight on. Juarez against Chris John and Escobedo against Katsidis, these are two Pay-Per-View, HBO level events. It takes a lot of money to put these kinds of events on and Floyd Mayweather said, "I really want to give my fight fans their money's worth." And that's exactly what he did."

It does not hurt any this event is scheduled for the Mexican Independence day weekend. Last year on the same weekend Juan Manuel Marquez thrilled Mexican fans in Las Vegas when he brutally knocked out former Cuban Olympic Gold medalist Joel Casamayor.

"We are very much aware that this is the big Mexican Independence holiday weekend," continued Schaefer, "and there will be a large Hispanic audience watching this fight and what we wanted to do is take the number one fighters from Mexico, Juan Manuel Marquez and put him in the ring with the number one fighter, Floyd Mayweather who is undefeated. We created a mega-event by matching up these two guys. We wanted to stay true to the card and to the holiday and we wanted to create an under card which will have significance and importance both to the Hispanic viewers but at the same time capture the general audience as well. These are the kind of fights you don't know who is going to win. And for that you don't need to be a Hispanic fight fan."

This is shaping up to be a special night of boxing. Do not miss it.