Full Translation: JM Marquez Talks Weight, Technical Strategy, & Pacquiao's Changes

Really great and insightful interview & breakdown. Enjoy.

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[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikEiTGFJP-o&feature=player_embedded[/ame]


Announcer Dude: We now go into the phase of the training camp, with Juan Manuel Marquez; how he has to conduct his work, how he has to move up in weight, bit by bit, not to do it in an abrupt manner, so as to not lose speed or strength. Juan- does the strategy now change from the past, in terms of the weight gain, from how when you were going to fight Floyd Mayweather?

JMM: Yes, we're going to change certain points of it, now overseeing it with a some doctors who are very important, indispensable, for this preparation. And we think that's going to help us a lot with gaining weight with strength, speed, and lots of reflexes, which will be very important when fighting Manny Pacquiao on November 12th.

Announcer Dude: What differences in training against Floyd Mayweather are you now doing for Pacquiao in terms of the gradual weight-gain?

JMM: Right now we're going to work on our potency, our strength/power, and then we're going to go into the stage of working strength and velocity, which is coming up. I think that's important; to fight against Pacquiao well, you have to do it with a lot of speed. You have to do it with a lot of movement at the waist, lots of speed; so we're going to work on these things stage by stage, listening to the directions of the doctors, and of course what Nacho Beristain says,

Announcer Dude: 24 rounds against Manny Pacquiao, 4 knockdowns. How can one avoid going to the canvas against Pacquiao?

JMM: Use a lot of intelligence. The points differences in our two fights, according to them, have been the knockdowns. And so we have to be more careful not to get connected on; moving the waist, keeping the guard up, making sure to bring the hands back during combinations, bring back the guard quickly, and constantly be moving the waist. I think that to not go to the canvas, we have to pay special attention to his punches that come with a lot of power.

Announcer Dude: You fell against Katsidis, you fell against Mayweather, and then the knockdowns against Pacquiao; is it safe to say that it's as if you're constantly sitting in a barrel of gunpowder, and if you're not careful, Pacquiao could send you to the canvas again?

JMM: Well, we're going to see if he can connect and send me to the canvas, because I'm working hard to be strong, and we're not looking to find out whether or not I can take punishment at that weight. We're not looking to find out whether or not Pacquiao really hits hard at welter, because we already know that he hit hard at other weights, so welterweight would be a lot more. So we're not trying to test it. We're going to try to preoccupy ourselves with defense, and with what he answers with as well.

Announcer Dude: Have you felt any lessening of your boxistic abilities, Juan?

JMM: Actually no. I've felt very good, and I've said it before: if I'm lacking reflexes, if I'm lacking speed, if I'm lacking things that are important for boxing, I myself will retire, I myself will say goodbye; but I feel good. Because of instances of carelessness, I've gone to the canvas. Instances which are very important. Against Katsidis in November of last year, it was a moment of carelessness that came from a great sense of confidence I had, and the knockdowns I've had have all been from being confident; thinking, the fight is now going to be easy, thinking that the situation concerning the combinations of the opponent will be easy, and that has costed me those falls to the canvas.

Announcer Dude: And now we see Manny Pacquiao; this is a matter of two sides, not only of Juan Manuel and his tendency of going down within his last few fights. It's not only that, one has to see the other part of it. Manny Pacquiao also suffers the effects of time; the athletic years of Manny Pacquiao's life also pass over time, biologically. Have you noted a difference, Juan, in the performances of Manny Pacquiao in his last fights? Yes, they exist between the other divisions and whatnot, but have you noticed anything little, any decrease, or is he still the same fighter as ever?

JMM: Look, I feel that in a way...I couldn't tell you whether or not he was on the slide, but there have been changes because his opponents haven't given resistance. The opponents he's had haven't (effectively) attacked him, and so it's hard to see at that weight, whether his speed, whether his reflexes, or whether his potency (power) is still the same. So I couldn't tell you whether he's slipped, or whether he's the same fighter as when I fought him.

Announcer Dude: How can you study Manny Pacquiao then?

JMM: I know the way that he fights. I know that you have to fight him at the same speed, including sometimes with superior speed or superior waist-movement, which complicates things for him. So now we're going to take greater care not to get connected on, since he has a very strong punch, and taking a strong punch can send us to the canvas, and that can decide the fight. So we have to prepare with a lot of upper body movement, a lot of reflexes, and lots of speed as well.

Announcer Dude: In Ciudad de Mexico (Mexico City)?

JMM: We're going to prepare here in Mexico City as we always have. Why look for changes if we've gotten the results?

Announcer Dude: Nacho Beristain of the Hall of Fame said: "The fight between Pacquiao and Marquez will be won by whoever dominates the zone of combat (the distance), which is a few meters between them." Do you agree with him?

JMM: I agree; I agree with that. Because what Manny Pacquiao does is he faints, then gets in close. So if we control the distance and move our waist, and counter his attacks in those moments, we can do good things.

(Break)

 

(continued)

Announcer Dude: We're now in the ring of Golpe A Golpe. We're with Juan Manuel Marquez, to discuss certain key points against Pacquiao, from both sides; what Manny does, and what Juan Manuel does. Now Juan, you've faced Manny Pacquiao two times, and we can say that he's now a better fighter. Before, he would jump around, and throw punches and land them, and from odd angles, was able to land very potent punches. Now, how is he a better fighter? How is Manny Pacquiao now?

JMM: Well what Pacquiao does, out of his southpaw guard, is make lateral moves while throwing the jab (circles and jabs), and all of a sudden he feints; he feints as if going down, and then throws a lightning left. Always feinting, always moving...

Announcer Dude: Despite the fact you can have your guard up.

JMM: Even though you have your guard up. He comes in with an impressive speed and lands in between through the gloves. So one always has to have good reflexes and constantly be moving at the waist, so as to not give an open target.

Announcer Dude: You say that he now has a right hand.

JMM: Yes.

Announcer Dude: That makes him more dangerous because, well, he has another resource Juan.

JMM: In one way it makes him dangerous, but it's also an advantage for me. It's an advantage for me because, for example, to throw a right hook at me, I can weave out of it and then throw an uppercut (slips hook and counters with a left uppercut.) Equally, I can block it (blocks with left), and from there turn it into my own combination (counters with a left hook out of the block), with hooks. But it does make him more dangerous, because he himself can employ a counterpunch.

Announcer Dude: Or feint the right, and come with his left.

JMM: Right, or feint. In the ring you have to be careful of your opponent always, because he has two hands. You can't always think, "it's the left." So you always have to be careful of both hands, and he's got a very powerful punch. So the right does make him more dangerous.

Announcer Dude: It's a world of feints.

JMM: That's right, a world of feints. He'll feint, he'll go like this (waves hands around as a distraction), he does a lot of things that can distract you. So we're always going to be attentive, always with the guard up, always with the guard well closed, so whatever punch he throws, we'll be able to slip it and counter-punch him. And we'll always be using lateral steps, which is very important. When he throws the left straight- (slips left hand to the right, pivots out to the right, and throws the straight right), I have to move, and do it with a lot of speed. Change the angle, initiate a combination, and when he wants to come back, counter-punch him.

Announcer Dude: Now, he's dangerous Juan, when they're attacking him; when he looks to apparently be against the ropes or losing the round is when he becomes the most dangerous.

JMM: He has a defense which makes him more secure. He closes up his hands (mimes a peekaboo guard). You'll throw your punches, but then he comes back with an answer. You have to be very careful, because he comes back with very good speed. So you have to throw your combinations and then step out, because he'll come back. So what one can do is throw combinations, step out, and then counter-punch him as well. That will be very important- indispensable-for me.

Announcer Dude: Has he learned how to counter-punch, Juan?

JMM: He's done it. He's done it in his fights; we've seen that his opponents haven't given him great opposition, so we'll be confident. He has learned how, so we're going to be very careful.

Announcer Dude: Throw me a long combination that Juan Manuel Marquez can use against Manny Pacquiao. Just one.

JMM: It could be...(throws) left hook-straight right-left uppercut- right downstairs-left downstairs, and finish upstairs with a straight right-left hook.

Announcer Dude: One more time.

JMM: Left hook-straight right-left uppercut- right downstairs-left downstairs-straight right, and a left hook as well.

Announcer Dude: Where one of those lands....

JMM: We're going to make it possible. We're going to work so that not just one lands, but all of them do.

(Broadcast then shows a Marquez-Pacquiao 3 prediction poll, and focuses on other upcoming fights.)

 

It's very true. His confidence helps him walk into the mouth of lions, but those moments of excessive confidence are what leads to his downfall. If there's any fight we can trust he'll be careful in, its this one. He'll have to manage never backing down and being aggressive in spots to making sure he gets hit as little as possible.

 

At his best weights, his own limited but substantial athleticism and technical skill allows him to be a very effective aggressor, and his shifting of rhythm is what helped him keep Pacquiao guessing in both fights, particularly the second. Obviously his weight-gain didn't allow him to be so effective against someone as big and good as Floyd.

I believe history will hold Marquez in high regard and remember him as one of the greats. He has always been a pleasure to watch.

 

Couldn't stand the thought of it just laying there untranslated Thanks again so much for bringing it to my attention.