Crash Course: Mayweather-Marquez

Former welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr., who retired as boxing's mythical pound-for-pound titlist in 2007, is fighting current lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez at a catchweight of 144 pounds on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (9 p.m. ET, HBO PPV).

Since the 32-year-old Mayweather left the sport after an impressive 10th-round knockout of Ricky Hatton in December 2007, junior welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao has inherited the pound-for-pound mantle with a string of electric victories over Marquez, Oscar De La Hoya and Hatton. Since Mayweather never lost that title in the ring, he says it still belongs to him. The prospect of a Mayweather-Pacquiao megafight -- perhaps for early 2010 -- looms over Saturday's fight.

Marquez, the world's No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter according to The Ring magazine, has collected titles at featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight -- becoming the fourth Mexican boxer to earn titles in three different weight classes after Julio Cesar Chavez, Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales. But the durable veteran is perhaps best known for two fights he didn't win: a draw and a split-decision loss in two thrilling fights with Pacquiao -- fights many observers think Marquez won.

Mayweather's decision to quit boxing may have been the least convincing retirement in sports history. No one was surprised when Floyd came back. But the decision to fight Marquez instead of Pacquiao took many observers by surprise.

When two champions from different weight classes enter the ring, the heavier man typically wins. Mayweather is bigger, stronger and faster -- a brilliant defensive mastermind who's never been in trouble in any fight. Many observers have dismissed Saturday's fight as a mismatch, looking ahead to a Pacquiao showdown. But Marquez is a crafty, shrewd counter-puncher capable of spoiling those plans.

Source: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2009/writers/bryan_armen_graham/09/17/mayweather.marquez.guide/