Why did Marquez struggle against Barrera and Bradley?

Barrera fought to win the first Pacquiao fight. In the 2nd fight he came to survive. It's difficult to finish a fighter who just wants to survive. Look at Kovalev Hopkins for a good example. Also the 2nd fight was at 130 pounds where the first was at 126 and Pacquiao's body is more suited for 126 as it's a more natural weight for him. Pacquiao become a volume guy at 130 and higher versus a one hitter quitter type of power guy at FW and SBW.

 

Jmm has never been ko'd and going toe to toe with him is something even Floyd wouldn't do. Floyd and Bradley used speed and angles to counter the counterpuncher. Floyd and Bradley were both naturally much bigger than Jmm and still respected him. Norwood and John, worldclass and good fighters in their own right, didn't deserve the win against Jmm. MAB was past his prime, but made it a tactical fight against not only Jmm, but also in the rematch with Pacman he held his own at times.

 

A slickster by definition? No! But by Golovkin comparisons, Jacobs is slick.
Jacobs like Bradley employed vs Marquez, stood by a gameplan and moved to the laterals in avoidance of prolonged exchanges.
To me, Jacobs did better vs Golovkin than Bradley did vs Marquez, yet Golovkin got the decision yet Marquez didn't.

 

He had a much better plan in the 2nd fight. He didn't fight to survive, he tried to technically apply a lot of the same things against Hamed. Namely jabbing over the right jab as he turned left. Manny just stepped out and didn't let him execute it that well.

Pacquiao's body is not more suited for 126. Random incorrect argument with no relevance. Fact is Barrera was nowhere near shot when he fought JMM. The end.

 

Only Pacquiao doesn't really fire his jab, he kind of just uses it as a range finder, and he likes to play defene with it to catch the opponents jab coming in.
Pacquiao parry's that jab and then fires his left while the jab has been parried.
MAB didn't have any answers for that.
MAB couldn't do what Marquez and Morales in fight one did which is entice Pacquiao to fire his left and stepping out and over to the left to fire a right hand counter.

MAB tried the avenue of trying to score points with the jab, but when it was failing, he never attempted to change his gameplan, and really to me, he fought to cross the finish line.

I agree with you though that MAB was far from a shot fighter when he fought Marquez.
Hell, he was on a 6 fight winning streak against some pretty good opposition heading into that Marquez fight.
The fight prior, he thoroughly outboxed Rocky Juarez in their rematch.
So far from shot. Hell, he was still a top notch fighter.

 

He was more suited for 126. That's why he hit harder there. Barrera said Pacquiao felt stronger at 126 than he did at 130. Literally, straight from the horses mouth. The man flat out said it. And yes he wasn't shot. But he was past prime. Sort of how maybe Pax wasn't shot on 2015 against Mayweather, but he was well over the hill. The same with Barrera against Marquez. His best days were behind him clearly.

 

Tim Bradley simply watched the Mayweather fight. He forced Marquez to come to him. Tim had a masterful understanding of angles and leverage in the ring - Marquez didnt have the hand speed to connect the leather.
Such an overlooked fight. Best of Tim Bradley's career by far. Came right after the highlight performance of Marquez's career (KO5) and denied him the WW title YET AGAIN.

 

Not that I go by punchstat, but you say Marquez didn't have the handspeed to connect the leather, yet punchstat as total punches connected as virtually even.
Bradley landed more jab but Marquez landed more power shots, the total connects being virtually even.

Last time I checked a power punch weighs more than a jab.

 

If he were more suited for that weight he'd still be able to make it. His power had more effect but there's more to being a fighter htan that.

Barrera wasn't in his absolute peak apex, but he wasn't past it enough that it devalues the win much at all. At that point Barerra was even more seasoned and JMM himself was already aging, people forget what he looks like when he was younger, much quicker and sharper. Pac 2 was basically the end of JMM's physical prime.

 

1. Pac didn't leave 126 because he could no longer make it. He left it to fight Morales who was at 130. He left for legacy. And yes he did hit harder at 126. Which isn't surprising since most fighters can't carry all their power from their optimal weight to a higher weight. We know Pac was a harder hitter at 126 because Barrera said he was.

2. I agree that Barrera wasn't at his apex in 2007. But we disagree at how far off he was. You think he was minimally done. I think he was near shot.

3. Yes I agree that Marquez physical prime was done after Pac 2. But Marquez aged much better than Barrera due to ring wear and style.

 

The notion that Pac's body was so small that he was giving up any advantage at 130 when he would go on to beat people up and KO them at 140 and 147 isn't even worth entertaining.

How the hell was he near shot when he just outboxed Rocky Juarez and did better against Pac in the rematch afterward? Someone who is "near shot" doesn't survive Pacquiao of the lower weights. "Near shot" is a terrible exaggeration. Shot means you can't hang at the elite level. Clearly he still could. He hadn't lost since the first Pacquiao fight and beat Morales in their trilogy a few years earlier. Trying to make out a shot Barrera gave JMM a close fight is pure agenda

 

I'm going with Barreras word over our opinion. He said he was at his best in the early 2000s. He also said Pac hit harder at 126.

 

Pac doesn't any KO at 147 or higher.