Juan Manuel Marquez (133.5) vs. Juan Diaz (135)
Robert Guerrero (138.5) vs. Joel Casamayor (138)
Jorge Linares (132.5) vs. Rocky Juarez (132)
Daniel Jacobs (159) vs. Dmitry Pirog (160)
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Marquez-Diaz2poster-120×120.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/juanmanuelmarquezwins110307.jpg

That’s also the only reason they’re fighting this weekend.

Because the truth is that while this fight should be a very good one, it has little significance in the grand scheme of boxing and arguably even in the near future of the lightweight division.

As it stands today, Marquez is in all likelihood still the best lightweight in the world. He earned that distinction by knocking out linear champion Joel Casamayor in 2008 and following up with Diaz, who was considered the next best at 135 pounds.

Then Marquez made his way up two weight divisions to challenge Floyd Mayweather Jr., predictably got outclassed by the bigger man and now returns to lightweight where he is technically still king.

But at age 36 and having been in a number of very hard fights in recent years, Marquez is nearing the end of his career. This spring, he passed on a chance to fight rugged Australian Michael Katsidis, which means he’s unlikely to test his mettle against any lesser-known and more talented lightweights like Humberto Soto, Joan Guzman, Ali Funeka or Robert Guerrero.

Which means should he get past Diaz a second time, Marquez will probably look for one or two more big fights to end his career. Some rumblings have Amir Khan scouting the winner of this fight, and Golden Boy Promotions already made an attempt to pit Khan against Marquez earlier in the year.

As for Diaz, he stands at three losses in the last two years after his most recent defeat to Paulie Malignaggi. That fight took place at junior welterweight, but Malignaggi is known as a soft puncher and still managed to stun Diaz at one point in the fight before going on to a decision victory. Like Marquez, Diaz is moving back to where he belongs at 135.

So while Marquez-Diaz II is a fight people want to see, it probably isn’t going to do much for the lightweight division. And honestly, Marquez against Katsidis would have been just as exciting – though not as marketable – as this fight.

Marquez-Diaz II is a good fight to make given that both guys are coming off losses. They know they can cash in on a rematch of 2009’s Fight of the Year if they do it now. A year from now, February 2009 suddenly seems too far back to expect a repeat of the first classic.

If done right, rematches are always going to be intriguing to fans, especially if the first fight was exciting or controversial, and sometimes that means the more deserving challengers are going to have to wait through them.

And then sometimes you find challengers who don’t even mind waiting.

Earlier this week, Alexander Povetkin pulled out of his mandatory shot at IBF and WBO Heavyweight Champion Wladimir Klitschko, forcing Klitschko to turn to the next man in line: Samuel Peter, a hard-hitting heavyweight with attitude.

The problem is Wladimir already beat him – five years ago.

Yes, it was an interesting fight, with Peter scoring three knockdowns along the way. But Klitschko won virtually every round in which he didn’t touch the canvas, thereby taking the decision in the end and proving himself superior to Peter.

Even then, there wasn’t a lot of interest in a rematch between the two. But Peter eventually managed to win a vacant heavyweight belt and position himself for another shot at Klitschko. At that point, with the rematch in demand, boxing politics reared their ugly head and Peter was instead forced to fight Vitali Klitschko, who completely humiliated him. Peter quit on his stool in a pitifully inept performance.

With Peter having lost to both Klitschko brothers, this is a rematch that doesn’t need to happen. Expect the promotion to consist of carefully selected highlights of the first fight pieced to look like Peter was more competitive than was really the case.

Sometimes a rematch from an exciting but mostly one-sided fight like Klitschko-Peter ends up blocking more important fights. This is the case with the November rematch between IBF Bantamweight Champion Yonnhy Perez and Joseph Agbeko. Last Halloween, they fought a thrilling bout that Perez won by a fairly wide margin by grabbing most of the close rounds. It was a sure-fire Fight of the Year candidate for 2009, but at the same time, it was clear that Perez was the better fighter.

In his most recent fight, however, Perez only managed a draw against Abner Mares in a back-and-forth match that many believed Mares deserved to win. So by going ahead with a rematch against Agbeko, Perez is in effect allowing one rematch to hold up an even more important one.

If Bernard Hopkins’ win over Roy Jones Jr. this past April produced anything positive, it’s the lesson that fighters need to strike while the iron is hot. Fight the rematches when fans want to see them, not seven years too late or when one or both fighters have severely regressed.

Rematches should serve to answer questions from the first fight, not simply reaffirm what fans already knew. In each of these three rematches, more likely than not, fight fans will come away thinking the man who was clearly superior the first time out is just as, if not more superior today.

At the end of the day, boxing fans just want to see good fights. And all of these scheduled rematches could ultimately prove to be memorable spectacles. But here’s hoping that if the same men have their hands raised the second time that they move on to more significant and, who knows, possibly even more exciting bouts.
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/juanmanuelmarquezwins110307-120×120.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/juanmanuelmarquezwins110307.jpg

For those fans sick of all the recent action that has been taking place outside the ring, the next two weeks or so should cleanse your palate and put the focus back where it belongs.

It starts this Saturday, July 31st, as Juan Manuel Marquez clashes with Juan Diaz in a rematch of 2009′s Fight of the Year. Both Marquez and Diaz are coming off embarrassing losses at higher weights, but are now back at their optimal weights and determined to seize control of the division. Aside from being a guaranteed war, this bout is crucial for the lightweight division.

On the undercard of Marquez-Diaz, we have Robert Guerrero-Joel Casamayor, Rocky Juarez-Jorge Linares, and Daniel Jacobs-Dmitry Pirog — all true crossroads, “must win” bouts. If there’s only one pay-per-view buy on your budget for the rest of this year, this should be it.

The following week, on August 7th, HBO brings us a doubleheader of new guard talents vs. old school pros. The main event features one of the brightest young stars in the sport, Devon Alexander, as he puts his his junior welterweight belts on the line against former world champ, Andreas Kotelnik. The last time we saw Alexander, he put on a beautiful boxing display before knocking out iron-chinned Juan Urango in a title unification contest. This could be a prelude to Alexander vs. Timothy Bradley and you can bet Alexander is aiming to make a point.

However, the opening bout may steal the thunder as young gun and defending IBF Light Heavyweight champ, Tavoris Cloud, takes on “The Road Warrior” Glen Johnson. Cloud is a true banger; Johnson is a hard-edged pressure fighter. This one has Fight of the Year candidate written all over it.

Then, on August 14th, also on HBO, we get a showdown of the two highest-ranked light heavyweights in the world as “Bad” Chad Dawson takes on Jean Pascal in a bout to determine who sits atop the 175 lb- class. If you like speed, precision and true craft, this one will definitely please you.

Also within this period of time:

Outstanding bantamweight prospect, Chris Avalos, gets his showcase on Showtime’s ShoBox on August 6th. Chris Arreola makes his return against Manuel Quezada on ESPN2, August 13, and there will be plenty of solid action all around on Fox Sports en Español and Telefutura.

So, If you’re tired of talking about promoters, deals and commissions and just want to get back to the business of boxing, then sit back and enjoy the next two weeks.

After a LONG, frustrating summer, you’ve earned this.
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/chad-dawson-champion-120×120.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Chris-Arreola.jpg

Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz II
Money Line: Marquez -400; Diaz +300
WBO/Super WBA Lightweight Title

Each fighter showed tremendous will during their first fight in 2009, a main reason the bout garnered Fight of the Year honors. After a back-and-forth battle, the fight was even on the scorecards going into the ninth round. Juan Manuel Marquez closed the show and was able to end the fight with a TKO of Juan Diaz with just 20 seconds remaining in the ninth round.

Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in boxing. Only Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao rank higher. Despite losing to both men in his career, Marquez gave Pacquiao all he could handle on two separate occasions. Marquez-Diaz was certainly a great fight but not one that begged for a rematch. Marquez was hoping to lure Ricky Hatton back to the ring but Juan Diaz is not a bad Plan B. If fans purchase the pay-per-view based on the excitement level of the first fight, then they will be in store for a good night of boxing. Marquez is durable and difficult to stop. Always entertaining, it’s the quick fighters that give him trouble, like Floyd Mayweather Jr did last year.

Juan Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs) is no Floyd Mayweather Jr. But being Juan Diaz isn’t all that bad. He’s a smart kid (at 26 he’s currently studying for the LSAT) that never backs down from a fight. He had his problems with Paulie Malignaggi last year, but that style was not setup well for him. An aging Marquez, who turns 37 in August, works out much better. Diaz won’t have to chase Juan Manuel Marquez. That works out well for the Baby Bull as well as the fans. A collision in the center of the ring is the best gameplan for Diaz. While Diaz has shown good defense in the past, especially against Michael Katsidis in 2008, Diaz will need to think more offensively. Marquez is tough to hurt but he’s no stranger to the canvas. While rematches rarely live up to their predecessors’ standard, Juan Diaz and Juan Manuel Marquez ought to be a great nightcap to an exciting night of fights.

Staff Predictions

Corey Willinger: In the first fight, Marquez took everything Diaz threw at him for the first five rounds. After that, Diaz was spent and Marquez dissected him. Don’t expect Diaz to come out with that same fire this time, for fear of running out of gas again. As he showed in February of 2009, Marquez takes it to another level when fighting under intense pressure; with more time to call his shots, he’ll pick Diaz apart once more and take him out around the seventh round.

Paul Magno: Some will downplay this bout because both are coming from losses where they didn’t look very good, but now they’re back to their normal weights and both are looking for redemption. This is a true crossroads fight where the loser may as well retire and the winner gets one more shot at glory. There’s no way that this one won’t be entertaining, but I’m picking Juan Manuel Marquez this time for the same reason I picked him the last time. He’s smarter, sharper and just technically superior to Diaz. I see Diaz fighting to the very end this time, but I don’t see him winning. My pick is Marquez via solid, but not dominant unanimous decision in a candidate for Fight of the Year.

Trent Pusey: Both men are going to get hit a lot during this fight. According to CompuBox, there were a total of 540 punches landed in their first fight. That creates a lot of variables in predicting a fight such as cuts or swelling. In that case, Marquez becomes the pick because he is the more experienced fighter. In fact, it was a cut to Diaz that led to his downfall against Marquez the first time around. We don’t need Daniel Day-Lewis to know that there will be blood. Diaz will put up a great effort but he will get stopped in the later rounds. I fully expect cuts and/or swelling to play a part in the finish as Marquez puts Diaz away in the tenth round.

Part 1: Daniel Jacobs vs. Dmitry Pirog
Part 2: Jorge Linares vs. Rocky Juarez
Part 3: Joel Casamayor vs. Robert Guerrero
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/Marquez-Diaz2poster-120×120.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/juanmanuelmarquezwins110307.jpg

Inside Fights Pound-For-Pound Rankings

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Last Month: 1
“We’ve been here before. It’s merely a waiting game to see if Floyd’s next fight is the one we’ve all been waiting for. Anything less would be considered a disappointment.”

2. Manny Pacquiao
Last Month: 2
“Manny wants to fight Floyd. Floyd wants to fight Manny. The boxing business sure has a way of complicating things. Floyd or not, Manny will be back in November.”

3. Paul Williams
Last Month: 3
“The upside to Williams’ future is that he is willing to compete in three or four different weight classes. The downside is that very few people want to fight him.”

4. Juan Manuel Marquez
Last Month: 4
“Marquez returns at the end of the month and faces Juan Diaz. It is a rematch of last year’s Fight of the Year. The performance of Marquez will show if he still warrants a spot in the top half of the rankings.”

5. Bernard Hopkins
Last Month: 5
“Kudos to Hopkins for performing at this level at the age of 45. Now forget fighting people your own age and start fighting people of your skill level.”

6. Chad Dawson
Last Month: 6
“Dawson is quietly dominating the light heavyweight division. Very quietly. Jean Pascal awaits in August.”

7. Andre Ward
Last Month: 10
“Ward is the fastest riser this month with his convincing shutout of Allan Green. It seems like Ward will be a mainstay on this list for years to come. Andre Dirrell is his next Super Six opponent.”

8. Wladimir Klitschko
Last Month: 8
“Wladimir Klitschko gave up on the fight we want to see for the fight we have to see. The most complete heavyweight in the game will be jabbing away at his mandatory, Alexander Povetkin, in September.”

9. Timothy Bradley
Last Month: 9
“It’s a shame that Bradley has to go outside a loaded 140-lb division to get a fight. But that’s just the case as Bradley moves up to welterweight to face Luis Carlos Abregu later this month.”

10. Shane Mosley
Last Month: 7
“Shane Mosley continues to be the fall guy for others’ ascent in the rankings. Mosley is next slated to face Sergio Mora in September, certainly nothing that would help improve his standing.”
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/fights120_poundrankings.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/manny_pacquiao.jpg

The Juan Manuel Marquez-Juan Diaz II event is something that we seldom see in the sport today: A high-ticket pay-per-view which promises to deliver from top to bottom.

None of the bouts are particularly urgent pairings and none of the fighters are mega-stars, but, from the opening bout to the main event, there are nothing but brilliantly matched-up fighters who find themselves, for different reasons, in “must-win” situations.

Here’s a rundown of the card:

Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz II

Although this is a rematch of 2009′s Fight of the Year, I didn’t see much logic in this pairing at first. Despite a fierce battle from Diaz, Marquez won the first bout decisively. However, as things have progressed over the months, this becomes more and more of an intriguing bout.

Marquez is coming back from a humiliating loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr at welterweight and at 36 years of age, we just don’t know how the weight change will affect the great Mexican warrior. Diaz, on the other hand, is also coming back after an embarrassing loss. He was defeated by Paulie Malignaggi last December and Diaz has to deal with plenty of ghosts when it comes to his last few years in the sport. From the Marquez loss, to the Malignaggi loss and then the Nate Campbell mugging a couple of years back, Diaz should have a chip on his shoulder. This will be a bout of two potentially damaged fighters battling to stay relevant. It’s a can’t miss.

Rocky Juarez vs. Jorge Linares

Linares was being treated as a “can’t miss” prospect by Golden Boy until getting stopped in one round by unknown, Juan Carlos Salgado; Juarez has had every opportunity to shine, but has almost always come up short. Together, they represent the best hopes of Golden Boy getting tossed out the window. Simply put, the winner of this bout moves on with his career. The loser is toast. Juarez has the massive edge in experience and probably power, but Linares is a tremendously talented and skilled fighter. We’ll find out a lot about both fighters after this one. Who wants to move on and who just wants out?

Robert Guerrero vs. Joel Casamayor

Yes, Casamayor is well past his prime and probably shouldn’t be fighting at the scheduled 140 lb. limit, but Guerrero is the one moving up in weight and fighting at junior welterweight for the first time and, really, he hasn’t even been tested at 135 yet. Guerrero is young, fresh, and talented, but Casamayor is crafty as the devil and will be more comfortable at the higher weight. If Guerrero sees Casamayor as a stepping stone to the junior welterweight cash bonanza he may be unpleasantly surprised.

Daniel Jacobs vs. Dmitry Pirog

Ok, so this is for a bogus WBO Middleweight belt that should still belong to the true and lineal champ, Sergio Martinez, but that still doesn’t stop this one from being an intriguing battle. Whenever you get two young, undefeated fighters going at it for their first world title, you will have a battle. This will probably be Danny Jacobs’ coming out party, but you can’t count Pirog out.

******************

Of course, something could still come along and ruin this beautifully crafted card. Injuries and last-minute contract disputes happen, but, until then, let’s give credit where credit’s due. Kudos to Golden Boy for finally giving us fans a pay-per-view we don’t have to feel guilty about buying.

*******************

For more boxing debate, news and discussion, follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/boxingBTBC
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Daniel-Jacobs.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Daniel-Jacobs-120×120.jpg

Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Juan Diaz
Jorge Linares vs. Rocky Juarez
Joel Casamayor vs. Robert Guerrero
Daniel Jacobs vs. Dmitry Pirog

That’s a quality offering from Golden Boy Promotions. We knew they would come up with an enticing undercard due the lack of marquee value in the main event. The final addition of Casamayor-Guerrero was nice and will be competed at no more than 139 pounds.
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/juanmanuelmarquezwins110307.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/juanmanuelmarquezwins110307-120×120.jpg

Linares-Juarez joins Daniel Jacobs vs Dmitry Pirog on the undercard. Jacobs-Pirog was announced last week. Fightnews.com reports that the Linares-Juarez bout will be held at a weight between super featherweight (130 lbs) and lightweight (135 lbs).

Rocky Juarez, 28-6-1 (20 KOs), continues to have good fortune shine upon him as he lands another pay-per-view bout despite never winning a meaningful professional bout. Juarez is 0-5-1 in World title fights. While Linares-Juarez is not for a World title, Juarez is still being given a great opportunity to forge another career comeback. Can’t we just move on from Rocky Juarez already? He is a career Silver Medalist.
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Daniel-Jacobs.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Daniel-Jacobs-120×120.jpg

Daniel Jacobs is 20-0 (17 KOs) while Dmitry Pirog is 16-0 (13 KOs). Both undefeated middleweights are being given a shot at the WBO title because former champion, Sergio Martinez, was stripped by the organization last week. Martinez also holds the WBO light middleweight title and before getting a decision from Sergio on which title he would defend, the WBO decided to strip Martinez of the middleweight title.
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Daniel-Jacobs-120×120.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/Daniel-Jacobs.jpg

Inside Fights Pound-for-Pound Rankings

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr
Last Month: 1
“Mayweather was dominant in his win over Shane Mosley. Floyd wants random, Olympic-style drug testing for all his future fights. Fans hope that next fight comes against the next man on this list.” – Trent Pusey

2. Manny Pacquiao
Last Month: 2
“Pacquiao won his congressional bid, but regaining his status as the best fighter in the world could be more difficult. The only way to the top is through the incumbent Floyd Mayweather Jr.” – Corey Willinger

3. Paul Williams
Last Month: 3
“Williams is open to fights from welterweight to middleweight. Rematches with Sergio Martinez or Kermit Cintron could be in his future while he chases Floyd and Manny.” – TP

4. Juan Manuel Marquez
Last Month: 4
“Marquez looks forward to a rematch with Juan Diaz in July. Their 2009 bout produced the Fight of the Year. Marquez needs a good showing to prove he’s still one of the best around.” – CW

5. Bernard Hopkins
Last Month: 5
“Hopkins seems to be leading the movement for a senior division in boxing. He bested a 40-year-old Roy Jones Jr in April and is now attempting to lure Joe Calzaghe out of retirement for the Bernard Hopkins Redemption Tour.” – TP

6. Chad Dawson
Last Month: 7
“2010 has been a waste for the talented Dawson thus far. He prepares for an August bout against Jean Pascal. The light heavyweight holds wins over Antonio Tarver, Glen Johnson and Tomasz Adamek.” – CW

7. Shane Mosley
Last Month: 6
“Mosley is contemplating his future after a blowout loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr in May. He’s never been one to shy away from a challenge so expect Mosley to return. Perhaps the Andre Berto fight could be revisited.” – TP

8. Wladimir Klitschko
Last Month: 8
“Through no fault of his own, Klitschko hasn’t had the opportunities to make his mark on heavyweight history. He’s been fighting everyone available and calling out WBA heavyweight champion David Haye. Thus far, Haye doesn’t seem eager to accept the invitation.” – CW

9. Timothy Bradley
Last Month: 10
“Bradley is moving up to welterweight to test his mettle against Luis Abregu in July. It won’t be a permanent stay, however, as Bradley still has a lot of house cleaning to do at light welterweight against the likes of Amir Khan, Marcos Maidana and Devon Alexander.” – TP

10. Andre Ward
Last Month: 9
“Coming off a knee injury, Ward completes Group Stage Two of the Super Six against Allan Green this month. Ward looks to become the tournament leader with a win. He outclassed tournament favorite Mikkel Kessler last year.” – CW
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/fights500_poundrankings.jpg
http://insidefights.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/fights120_poundrankings.jpg