Photo by Will Hart/HBO
Sometimes, even the greatest and keenest of athletes are unable to foresee what later becomes inevitable.
After his first professional fight in Mexico, Juan Diaz later sat ringside and chatted with a man, Juan Manuel Marquez, who was 10 years his elder. The two spoke warmly and remained friendly for the duration of the evening.
Years later, both were top-tier warriors in the same division fighting for 135-pound supremacy.
On February 28, two of boxing’s elite fighters climbed into the ring to battle for control of the Lightweight division. Juan Manuel Marquez and Juan “The Baby Bull” Diaz met in a bout billed asm “A Battle for the Ages. A Fight for Supremacy.”
The year was 2009.
The Ring Magazine ranked Marquez the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Diaz was ranked the No. 2 Lightweight fighter in the world sitting behind only one man, Marquez, who was ranked first.
At 25, Diaz (34-1, 17 KOs) was a relentless, high-energy fighter who pressured opponents with a fierce assault to the head and body. Many boxing fans loved his straight ahead, exciting style.
Now 35, Marquez (49-4-1, 36 KOs) was a dangerous veteran with top-flight boxing skills and formidable power. His counterpunching ability was akin to a sharpshooter as was on full display in two battles with Manny Pacquiao.
The bout was hosted from the Lone Star state in Houston’s Toyota Center. Over 15,000 fans poured in to see the two top Lightweight’s in the world, one of which was a local favorite. Living and fighting out of Houston, Diaz held what was akin to a home-field advantage.
The fight was broadcast live on HBO with Jim Lampley, Emanuel Steward, and Max Kellerman ringside to call the action.
Ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced referee Rafael Ramos and then the fighters.
Both men looked to be in tremendous condition as each weighed in just a hair under the 135-pound limit.
Seconds before the opening bell, Kellerman posed the question that was on the minds of boxing fans watching. “Who is the best Lightweight in the world? We are about to find out.”
Scheduled for 12, Round 1 began with Diaz coming forward like a locomotive. Wearing blue trunks and blue gloves, he immediately began to pressure Marquez and force him to move backwards.
Marquez was comfortable moving in reverse, playing more defense than offense, while sticking a straight left jab out at Diaz.
Wearing silver trunks trimmed with red and adorned with black gloves, Marquez was cautious of the fast starting, aggressive Diaz and looked to measure him with a blitzkrieg of counterpunches.
It didn’t take long for Diaz to back Marquez into the ropes as the two men engaged in an early slugfest. An excited Lampley did all he could to keep up, “Three body shots from Marquez! Diaz goes in with a right hand! This is going to be a hellacious war!”
Photo by Will Hart/HBO
The toe to toe combat continued through the rest of the round. The crowd rose as Lampley screamed over them, “Round one is an all-out war! And they taunt each other!”
That war progressed into Round 2. The early sizzling exchanges were being won by Diaz who hurt and wobbled Marquez. Lampley went berserk, “Big left hook! Staggers Marquez! Marquez in trouble and trying to fight his way out of it!”
Clearing his head, Marquez made a subtle tactical shift and began banging to the Diaz body.
After three rounds, ringside scorer Harold Lederman had Diaz up three rounds to none, 30-27.
By Round 5, swelling had turned to bleeding from Marquez’s right eye. In the sixth round, with blood streaming down the side of his face, Marquez began landing the cleaner punches as Diaz appeared to be slowing down.
The tide again turned in Round 7 as Marquez was now breathing heavily with his mouth wide open. As Marquez backed away, Diaz strafed him to the head and to the body with vicious right and left hooks.
Diaz continued to press forward in the eighth as Marquez countered and went to the uppercut. Steward saw them landing at will, “He found a home with that left uppercut.”
The Marquez bombs ripped open Diaz’s right eye. As both fighters banged away in close, each had a steady stream of blood flowing and covering their faces. With under 30 seconds remaining in the round, Marquez seized command.
Photo by Will Hart/HBO
An exchange at close quarters left Diaz hurt as his legs buckled. The crowd rose to its feet as Kellerman’s voice rose over the roar, “Diaz got caught with a left hook and he looks stunned!”
The bell sounded to end the eighth round, saving Diaz from further punishment. While the fighters bled and the cut men worked, the crowd stood and cheered the action.
Diaz came straight ahead in Round 9, beginning the round the same way he began the fight. Marquez was now countering with a steady diet of uppercuts, catching Diaz on the way in.
The battle of wills, accompanied by heavy bombs thrown and landed by each fighter, reached a climax with just under a minute to go in the round. Beginning with a sweeping right uppercut, Marquez then found a home for an overhand right that impaled high on the Diaz forehead.
Kellerman wailed, “He’s hurt!” Lampley saw Diaz wobble against the ropes as Marquez hammered away, “And a huge uppercut! Down goes Diaz!”
A brave “Baby Bull” rose as he took the standing eight count from Ramos. Marquez immediately swarmed a badly hurt Diaz who tried desperately to cover up and fend off the charging Marquez. Another right uppercut then smashed home on the Diaz chin and sent him crumbing toward the canvas.
While he lay flat on his back, Marquez raced across the ring and leaped onto the ropes with his hands held high above his head in victory. Ramos kneeled next to a defeated Diaz and mercifully called a halt to the action.
Kellerman summed up the moment, “What you just saw was a really good young fighter knocked out by a great old fighter.”
The bout ended via a TKO at 2:40 of the ninth round. It was a classic.
At the time of the stoppage, one judge had the bout even at 76-76. The remaining judges had it scored 77-75 for Marquez and 77-75 for Diaz.
The intense, fast-paced action led to the fight being named The Ring’s “Fight of the Year.”
A rematch took place 18 months later and saw Marquez win a unanimous decision. The second meeting, however, didn’t have the same pop and sizzle as the original.
Their first encounter was a doozy and had everything that fight fans love to see.
