This past Saturday night (May 17, 2014) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, legendary Mexican boxer Juan Manuel Marquez added to his decorated resume by winning the WBO International Welterweight title by Unanimous Decision over Mikey Alvarado. The fight started out slow before heating up and turning into a real war that saw both men hit the canvas before Marquez established himself as the better overall boxer. In the end, Marquez paid back at around (-240) at the books. Marquez looked to be at a size disadvantage, as Alvarado was longer and bigger, but his skill and combination punching are truly otherworldly, and Alvarado’s face took a beating in the process, cutting and swelling throughout the later rounds. Alvarado showed his reserve of guts in the fight, as he never stopped coming forward and trying to engage Marquez, but the Mexican’s accuracy took it’s toll and by the end, it was clear Alvarado was a beaten man. So what is next for Marquez? Inevitably, his promotion Top Rank will start the talk for a fifth fight for Marquez against Manny Pacquiao. It is probably the most lucrative fight that can be made for Marquez, who at this point is going to be deciding who he fights based on the money he makes. He doesn’t need to duck anyone, so if the money is right, Marquez will be a go for Pacquiao next. That Pacquiao will beat Marquez is not a foregone conclusion. He stopped Pac-man cold in their last outing, and two of the three prior fights were close enough that a case can be made for Marquez. The fact is that Pac-man is a legend because of his traversal of eight weight classes in his career, only getting bigger and stronger and better conditioned as time passes. The winner of a fifth Marquez-Pacquiao fight would have claim to a marquee spot opposite Floyd Mayweather Jr for an even bigger ‘big’ money fight early in 2015. Marquez lost their first meeting by a wide margin, ceding a UD to Mayweather at precisely 147 lbs, same as now. Mayweather had been on one of his layoffs, but that was the first time he fought above the 135 lb limit and it is safe to say he has grown into that weight, and another shot at Mayweather would add to his coffers nicely.
