Congratulations Juan Manuel Marquez!

Mexico's Marquez, 36, who beat Diaz (35-4) by ninth-round knockout last year in a bout voted fight of the year by the Boxing Writers Assn. of America, met Diaz's charging style head on, landing hard jabs and rights that slowed the younger man's attempts. He outlanded Diaz in all 12 rounds, connecting on 288 punches to Diaz's 155.

"I fought the best fight I could," Diaz said. "I didn't want to stand in front of him. The game plan was to get in there, go in, get off combinations, step around him and get out."

Diaz's broken lip showed he wasn't successful.

"It was hard," Diaz said. "I got hit with a couple of hard shots. He's a very tough fighter, a great fighter. I was in there with the best."

Marquez crushed Diaz with a fourth-round right uppercut, and even as his right eye swelled from some highly entertaining exchanges in the first half of the bout, Marquez remained undeniably willing to stand firm in the face of Diaz's pursuit, landing a brutal right as the challenger barged ahead in the ninth. Diaz had no choice but to finally back up.


.... Please see the fight til next weeks further post!


-DCorn