Trainer of the hour (and almost certainly the year; maybe even the decade!) Freddy Roach has gone on record as saying the upcoming July 18th Floyd Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez fight "stinks," and that it will pit two counter-punchers against one another, each one waiting for his opponent to make the first move. Roach says the fight will be boring and that it "proves nothing."
Right now, due to the manner in which he has made anyone who has disagreed with his predictions look foolish, it's tough to disagree with Roach. However, is he right on this one? Will the catch-weight fight being fought at 143 or 144 pounds really be a boring fight?
Though there are other people who somewhat share Roach's opinion - or are at least a little unsure as to whether or not the fight will be a 100-percent competitive one due to the big jump up in weight the Mexican great will have to make - there are other fans still who are looking forward to the fight a lot. Hopefully the pairing of pound-for-pound standouts will result in a fascinating and fan-friendly affair..
But we have seen less than scintillating showings put on by "Money" in the past, and if he does choose to box with undue caution against Marquez it wouldn't be the first time the 39-0(25) star has done so. A true boxing master Mayweather may be, but he has been guilty of sending some fans home feeling less than satisfied. And though "Dinamita" has given us some classics in his time, he too has also given us fights that were far less exciting.
Sure, this is the 35-year-old Mexican's big chance to really make a name for himself on the world stage, and as such Marquez doesn't figure to turn up and fail to try his best. But with the size advantage he will be up against in July (an inch shorter in height and giving away 5 inches in reach), will Marquez really be able to fight any other way than in a counter-punching style? It's certainly doubtful Marquez, 50-4-1(37) will be able to make it a physical fight and surprise Mayweather by jumping right on him and roughing him up - as tough as Juan Manuel is. And Floyd doesn't figure to go out on a limb and take any chances in the fight - not with the hugely lucrative Manny Pacquiao fight in the offing for him should he win.
No, it looks like we have a chess match in store for us on July 18th in Las Vegas. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and hopefully the boxing on show will be both beautiful and awe-inspiring examples of what The Sweet Science is all about. But make no mistake, there will be a lot of on the back foot boxing, waiting and then counter-punching on display; by both men.
It's also possible that Mayweather will do just enough to see he has his hand raised. While then again, it's also possible Mayweather will find he is not the razor sharp boxer gifted with split second reflexes he was prior to his seventeen month layoff. Very fast himself, especially for a 35-year-old, Marquez might be able to beat Floyd to the punch if he has slipped even slightly.
Both men will know upon entering the ring the month after next that the winner will have an excellent chance of facing "Pac-Man" for a massive purse afterwards. This SHOULD ensure both men make sure they pull out all the stops to emerge victorious. But once a counter-puncher, always a counter-puncher, and after having approached the art of fighting in the same way for a full career it's unlikely either guy will change now. And two counter-punchers in the same ring does not often lead to a great fight.
Hopefully, on this occasion, this pairing of natural counter-punchers will go against the grain and give us a memorable fight, as opposed to a forgettable one. Freddy Roach can't be right yet again though, can he!?
Source: http://www.eastsideboxing.com/news.php?p=19779&more=1
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