By Thomas McNamara, England – According to BoxRec.com, Floyd Mayweather Jr will be fighting Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18. This cannot come at a better time if true. This year will see an explosion of excitement for the sport of Boxing. With Haye getting his Klitschko deal, Froch fighting Taylor, Pacquiao against Hatton and Khan going for a world title, this year seems like it couldn’t get better. But in the back of everybody’s mind, no matter how faint, was the thought of another Mayweather masterful comeback from his “retirement”.. No plans have been spilt about weight, whether it is at the Lightweight limit of 135 lbs, Marquez’s domain. The 140 lb limit, dazzled by a pound for pound showdown between the Hitman and the Pacman. Or the very unlikely Mayweather comfort of 147 lbs. Whatever the weight, this fight is shaping up to be one amazing showdown.
No doubt that Mayweather is once again putting that undefeated record on the balance. Juan Manuel Marquez, the former WBC Super Featherweight Champion, former IBF, WBA and WBO Featherweight champion and current WBA, WBO and IBO Lightweight Champion of the world, the conqueror of legends like Marco Antonio Barrera, Eric Morales and Julio Cesar Chavez is no push over. His performance against Juan Diaz secured his place as the one to beat in the Lightweight Division. But wasn’t Floyd Mayweather the one to beat in boxing itself? Let’s take this in Marquez’s viewpoint. Nobody will dare challenge him. Who would? You know who, but Floyd Mayweather is the man who humiliated Arturo “Thunder” Gatti, the man who defeated Zab Judah and Oscar De La Hoya, and the man who upset a great nation in his victory over Ricky Hatton. He is the villain of Boxing, but we all love to hate him.
Prepare yourself for July 18th. This will be the starting point for potentially many more fights. In July the winner of Hatton Pacquiao will most probably be looking towards a match with the winner of Marquez Mayweather (that’s got a ring to it already), especially the Mancunian Mexican, as Hatton has been known to say that Marquez and Mayweather are both on his hit list.
Challenging the 2nd best Lb 4 Lb fighter in the world is a move that Mayweather will have thought about carefully. It is risky yes, but if he pulls it off he will be right back up there in the Lb 4 Lb ratings and no dubitably be looking to secure the number 1 spot by facing either Hatton or Pacquiao.
I for one, and I most probably speak for alot of people out there, am looking forward to seeing this fight progress.