Why did Marquez struggle against Barrera and Bradley?

Saying he was at his absolute best then doesn't contradict what I'm saying. He wasn't close to shot.

I think you'd be hard-pressed to give Pacquiao the 3rd fight IMO. H2H vs. resume is always an interesting debate, I don't think it's wrong to say either is the better fighter. The resume gap isn't so huge that it trumps the head to head significance.

 

Pax beat Barrera so viciously in 2003 that Merchant asked Barrera " will you retire". Nobody is prime 4 years after an ass whooping like that at 33 with 3 wars with Morales too.

What's next? Hagler was prime against Leonard at 32 after two savage wars with Hearn and Mugabi.

 

I think a draw is generous myself. I think the first two fights can be split by one or two points, but I think JMM handily won the 3rd and definitely won the 4th. Head to Head, when the two fought, I thought JMM was increasingly a step ahead until he sealed the rivalry. So how much someone takes into account their separate resumes outside of each others' fights is subjective. This isn't Ali-Norton for example.

 

Merchant asked him a question, therefore Barrera didn't go onto a solid win streak after that proved he wasn't close to shot?

 

Hee barely got by Juarez in the first fight. A fighter who before the Pac beatdown would have schooled with ease.

Saying Barrera was close to his peak against JMM is like saying Hagler was fresh against Leonard. A fighter in their mid 30s with multiple knockdown drag out wars has seen better days.

 

The answer is that Pac was a far better fighter, but head to head, JMM matched up great with him.

JMM wasn't at his best vs Bradley, but Barrera was close to shot vs JMM so it evens up.
I recall many Pac detractors say Barrera was past prime vs Pac, the same ones will ignore that JMM vs Barrera was well after that.

 

But he beat him handily in the rematch. You can't use a hypothetical to back your argument.

Hagler against Leonard is very different to Barrera against JMM.

You people do not know what "shot" means.

 

Hagler Leonard is very comparable to Barrera JMM. You had two war torn aging fighters past their best.