Juan Manuel Marquez and Nacho Beristain: Ready for More Greatness (great read)

Juan Manuel Marquez and Nacho Beristain: Ready for More Greatness

November just keeps on rolling right along with the hits. This weekend, in yet another linear title fight, lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, 51-5-1 (37), takes on rugged, rough-and-tumble titleholder Michael Katsidis, 27-2 (22), a classic boxer vs. brawler matchup. Marquez is fresh off his dominant rematch win over Juan Diaz in July while Katsidis is riding high after upsetting Kevin Mitchell back in May. It’s a fight that guarantees action from start to finish as Marquez, a classically Nacho Beristain-trained fighter, will use his experience and boxing acumen to offset the relentless go-for-broke style of Katsidis. It’s age and wisdom (Marquez is 37 and a veteran of two wars with Manny Pacquiao, among others) vs. youth and brutality (Katsidis is 30 with power in both hands and an aggressive high punch output attack). Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV, we get to see if the legend can pull it out one more time in a barnburner or if will Katsidis expose the aging wheels of Marquez en route to getting into the big fight sweepstakes that are creeping around the 135 to 140 pound divisions.

On Monday, Marquez and Beristain stopped by Martin Snow’s Trinity Boxing Club on Santa Monica Blvd. down in West Hollywood. It’s a gorgeous rugged gym full of character. Quotes like, “You can only become a winner if you willing to walk over the edge” by Damon Runyon or “First they ignore, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win” by Ghandi.

“I love the quotes. It’s inspirational for the fighters to see that,” Snow told me before everyone arrived. A ring with minimal padding for speed dominates the room. To the left, as you enter the storefront gym, are a set of several heavy bags with a speed bag up against the left side of the ring, which starts at the right wall and goes to about center of the room. In the back is a restroom and changing areas, along with more workout equipment. It’s a spacious and friendly gym. A nice setting for the day.

In the middle of the room, on a platform used for wrapping hands on this day, Marquez and Beristain stood and answered questions from a large contingent of press about the upcoming fight before heading to the various stations in the room for a full workout that did not include mitt work or sparring.

“Every fighter is different,” said Marquez’s trainer, Nacho Beristain, of their foe this Saturday. “Katsidis is dangerous. He comes forward. He’s strong. And he will make Juan Manuel uncomfortable.”

That’s an understatement. If you’ve never seen Katsidis fight, you are in for a treat. He’s like a video game. He comes forward, takes a few to give his few and has yet to be in a bad fight. He will be cutting off the ring as best he can and looking to break Marquez in half with his body attack.

“He has a great style. Very commercial style,” said a complimentary Marquez. “A style that people love to see but now he is coming to fight with me. It’s going to be a good fight. He throws a lot of punches and he puts a lot of pressure. That’s the best he has. He throws a lot of punches and pressures.”

Now to a counterpunching machine like Marquez, that might seem like it plays right into his hands. And it might. But the lightweight champ is all business and is treating Katsidis with appropriate respect.

“He worries me in everything,” said Marquez. “Not just one thing. Everything. He’s a complete fighter and he is a champion. I’m not worrying about one thing, specifically. I’m worrying about everything. Whatever he is going to bring.”

A little over a month ago, in the thick of his training camp in Thailand, Katsidis’ brother, jockey Stathi Katsidis died unexpectedly. Despite this incredible hardship, the warrior decided to fight on. Marquez expressed both sympathy but wariness as he feels this will further inspire the already passionate fighter Katsidis to greater heights.

“I’m expecting the best from him,” said Marquez, “especially now with the death of his brother. You never know. But I am prepared for anything. I felt very bad when I heard because nobody likes to see those things happen. I feel very sorry for what happened. I know for a fact he is going to be very motivated for this fight. But at the same time, it motivates me to do a better fight.”

 

Continued...


With three titles in three weight classes, a win over Marco Antonio Barrera, two controversial but compelling bouts with Manny Pacquiao, a knockout of Joel Casamayor and a late-career, crowning glory, highlight-reel-of-a-KO win against Juan Diaz in their first fight, it’s hard to imagine what keeps the 37-year-old Marquez fighting at all, much less at an elite level.

“You have to understand that Juan Manuel is willing to do everything and anything to stay at that level,” said Beristain. “If I ask him to get up at all hours of the night and go run to the top of the Volcano and run back, he will do it and he will do it passion. That’s what’s maintained him. It’s all about his hunger.”

For Marquez, winning is everything and he is willing to do what it takes, no matter the cost to do so.

“When I go up to the ring, I don’t care,” Marquez said. “I’m willing to die. I’m going to do whatever to get the victory. For this fight, it will be the same.”

In some ways, Katsidis resembles Juan Diaz, only with more power. He comes forward, tries to cut off the ring and forces a fast pace to tire you out. Looking back at the first fight with Juan Diaz, things were very tight early on. Diaz pressed Marquez to the ropes, dug to his body and generally made it very tough for Marquez to get space or leverage on his normally well-balanced shots. What Diaz and Katsidis also have in common is that they have a tendency to bleed. A cut midway through the Diaz fight seemed to quickly turn the tide for Marquez (along with great counterpunching to the head and body) and he finished things off with a beautiful uppercut in round nine. I asked Marquez if a big key to success here was his rapier-like jab, which could cut Katsidis to ribbons from long range.

“Not just the jab,” he explained. “I need to throw combinations. I need to move my legs, my head, everything. I have to box with him. Not just the jab. I work with a lot of tools.”

Beristain told me that if the knockout can come, then so much the better but he seemed to believe the fight would go into the later stages. However, long or short, the keys to winning this fight for both men are experience and the work ethic they have shared for years. These are not two men who have spent a lifetime of boxing together for no reason and with little understanding of the intricacies and intangibles that play into every fight. For each, knowing they prepared for every eventuality is what they believe will be enough to win, come Saturday night.

“We’re always looking for the victory, obviously,” said Beristain, “but we are banking on our experience and our preparation. And thinking that we are going to go 12 hard rounds or get the TKO.

“I’m going to use my experience,” agreed Marquez. “I’m going to try and dictate the fight. That’s what I am going to do. Use my experience. I’m well prepared for 12 rounds. But if the knockout comes, I will welcome it. I’m prepared for the distance or whatever happens.”

The Workout…

Each fighter that does a media workout is different. Some do full workouts like “JuanMa” Lopez, Miguel Cotto or Vitali Klitschko. Others, like Rafael Marquez, don’t show you much at all. Marquez, on this day, gave us a full peek into his training, which, I imagine at this point- just a few days away from camp- has tapered down a lot. He displayed his beautiful footwork and turning skills while flashing classic Beristain combinations. The one-two. The one-two uppercut. His speed and fluidity were on display as he glided around the ring for a few rounds, breaking a sweat. Then he laid into the heavy bag for a few rounds, slipping to the side, shooting body shots and combinations both up and downstairs. The perfect balance Marquez showed as he danced around on the balls of his feet, while ripping combos, was just a picture of violent grace and technical precision.

Then it was time for the speed bag and Marquez turned a normal display of speed into a brilliant display of timing and power when he reared back after a couple rounds and lit a straight right hand into the bag, popping it as he shot through the target.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XftTjQy75NA[/ame]

I’d hate to be Michael Katsidis on the end of that one.

Pacquiao vs. Marquez 3?

Inevitably, when interviewing Juan Manuel Marquez, the unfinished business with Manny Pacquiao is brought up. In their first fight back in 2004, for a featherweight title, Marquez was down three times in the first round but rallied to make the bout a draw.

The second fight was at 130 pounds, four years later, and was equally competitive with Marquez getting dropped again. He won the fight on many unofficial scorecards, excluding the official judges who gave Pacquiao the nod in yet another close fight.

Manny Pacquiao went on move up through the 135, 140, 147, and 154-pound divisions (though the titles he won at 147 and 154 were of the paper variety) and took the scalps (and, in some cases, titles from) of Ricky Hatton, Oscar De La Hoya, Miguel Cotto and Antonio Margarito. Marquez moved up from the 130-pound division to 135 and took out Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz and then lost a decision to Floyd Mayweather in a 144-pound catchweight bout. Since then, he has returned to 135 for the Diaz rematch and this fight.

But now that Manny Pacquiao is looking for a dance partner, it seems he is looking everywhere BUT his archrival Marquez, stating recently, “I don’t think people would want to see that fight.”

Marquez had some choice words about Pacquiao on Monday.

On his recent win over Antonio Margarito and the matchmaking involved in his recent fights:

“Yes. [Pacquiao] is a good fighter,” Marquez said. “But the type of opponents like Margarito makes him look like a monster. I don’t want to say he isn’t. He’s a good fighter.”

Marquez feels that Pacquiao is absolutely disrespecting him as a worthy opponent despite the fact that, if they fight, the bout would most likely have to be at either 147 or at least somewhere above 140.

“No, no, no. That fight is the most important fight. He knows people want to see that fight. He doesn’t want to face me. I’m not an opponent. I’m a component,” explained Marquez. “I’m a challenge. So I don’t like to hear those things, that I am an opponent for him. I know Pacquiao doesn’t want to fight me. I’m not an opponent. I’m a contender. I’m a champion. We will have to fight the same exact weight. If he wants to fight we can do it at 143 or 144.”

One reporter asked if Marquez would be OK above 140, as he looked sluggish at welterweight against Floyd Mayweather and was pretty much dominated in that fight.

“Boxing is about styles,” explained Marquez. “Floyd is so elusive. He doesn’t attack you. He is not there. Pacquiao attacks. That’s the difference.”

I asked who was ducking who more: Floyd Mayweather ducking Pacquiao or Manny Pacquiao ducking Marquez?

“I believe it’s Pacquiao,” Marquez, of course, answered. “He’s avoiding me. Remember, I fought him in 2004. Then they waited four years to make the rematch. Now it’s going on three years. I don’t hear anything from them.”

Marquez seemed to soften his stance just a bit on Pacquiao, however, stopping short of calling him scared and, instead, blaming Pacquiao’s promoter for not making the match. Recently, Bob Arum has talked about fights with Andre Berto or Shane Mosley at welterweight but not Marquez.

“It would not surprise me if they give the fight to Berto or Mosley,” he said. “For some reason, he is avoiding me. I want the fight. But it’s not Pacquiao. It’s Bob Arum.”

I finally asked Marquez that if he could not get Pacquiao, where he needed to look to add to his legacy. Marquez is ever looking to go further into the upper echelons of boxing immortality, whether it’s openly challenging the best fighter in the world and the man he has given more fits to than any other fighter (with a few exceptions or moving up in weight and taking on the young guns at 140 pounds).

“My priority is Pacquiao,” said Marquez. “If I can’t get that fight, I can go and defend my lightweight title or go for the fourth title of my career in my fourth weight class. I’d like to be in history for winning the fourth title because four guys in Mexico have won three; Chavez, Morales, Barrera and me. I would like to be the first one to win four world titles in four weight classes.”

Enjoy him while you can, fight fans. They do not make Marquezes every day.




(Dog House.)

 

I think he knows how/where to hit them to get the pop. On 24/7 it looked like he pretty much knew what he was about to do, same for the public workout before Floyd. It's really not that easy so I myself wonder what the trick is besides having laser accurate dinamita in your hands.

 

His doctor recommended it, and he was surprised at first, but eventually went along with it and liked the results. You have to cleanse your body a special way before you begin doing it apparently.