(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
In popular culture, the Mexican standoff is often portrayed as three or more opponents with weapons aimed at one another.
Neither will surrender or lower their weapon by any means except death, as that would mean defeat, and losing a battle—no matter what the odds—is an admission that most Mexicans would rather die than take part in.
The term "Mexican standoff"—when taken literally—is also a brilliant example of the legendary heart and never-say-die attitude of some of boxing's greatest warriors.
The Ring magazine's lightweight champion is Juan Manuel "Dinamita" Márquez Méndez.
Born Aug. 23, 1973 in Mexico City, Marquez is the fourth boxer from that heritage to become a world champion in three different weight classes.
Marco Antonio Barrera, Érik Morales, and Julio César Chávez are the other fighters for whom Marquez now carries the torch, and you can be certain that he intends to carry it proudly.
As proud boxers go, Marquez is one of the proudest and rightfully so. His record speaks for itself.
Since his pro debut in May of 1993, Marquez, at 50-4-1 with 37 KOs has won multiple titles in the featherweight and lightweight divisions. Needless to say, he knows how to walk the walk.
The 35-year-old Marquez is now poised to put a bold, and possibly final, exclamation mark on his stellar career.
On Sept. 19, he will face the recently returned villain of boxing, the former undefeated No. 1 pound-for-pound welterweight champion, Michigan's Floyd Mayweather Jr.
If there ever was a man who was born to be a fighter, it's "Pretty Boy" Floyd. He hails from a family of fighters who have long ago made a name for themselves in the sport. As a result, the name Mayweather has become synonymous with excellence in the pugilistic world of boxing.
Indelible, yes, but not a one-sided tale, Floyd is returning home in a sense to claim what he feels is rightfully his, but he is also coming back against arguably the finest fighter out there.
Possibly Manny Pacquiao—who has generally been seen as the pound-for-pound king in Floyd's absence—is the real reason that Floyd has returned to the fold. However, in this writer's opinion, Mayweather ought to be extremely careful not to trip and fall while ascending the the stairway to Pacman.
The man he will face in September is an ultra-amiable, extremely intelligent ring technician, and he cannot be ignored as one of the world's most elite boxers.
The noticeable turning point—for me—in Marquez's career came when he went head-to-head with fellow countryman Barrera in Las Vegas.
As is usually the rule, Marquez was not the focus in this battle either. The attention seemed to revolve around the great Barrera from Iztacalco in Mexico City, which ironically, is just a stone's throw from where Marquez himself grew up.
Marquez was led by the terrific trainer Nacho Beristain, and during the ring walk, he seemed to glow. He looked awesome. It was as if he knew. The Barrera clash was fantastic and a high-class affair between excellent fighters, and Marquez deservedly won.
There are no airs, no graces, no bravado, and certainly no trash-talking when it comes to Marquez, he is not a ticket-selling hype machine. That job may be delegated to Mayweather, who has become the hated villain in this Mexican standoff.
In all seriousness, Mayweather is undoubtedly one of the greatest defensive and undeniably illusive fighters of all time. Resembling the great Sugar Ray Leonard—and the greatest heavyweight of all Muhammad Ali before him—he is almost impossible to catch, let alone hit.
However, he may have made the biggest mistake of his career by choosing to comeback against the lightweight champion.
Marquez wont quit, wont surrender or lay down his weapons, anytime, anywhere.
Remember, this is the guy who was knocked down three times in the first round against Pacquiao. This was the fighter who picked himself up on three occasions in the first three minutes, who fought back against all possible odds, to draw their first encounter.
It's also many people's opinion, including mine, that he won their second meeting despite not getting the decision.
Here lies a true, under-appreciated, and perhaps overlooked gladiator. Lets hope Mayweather remembers these things before he steps in the ring this coming September.
"Brave men rejoice in adversity, just as brave soldiers triumph in war."
—Seneca, Spanish-born philosopher and Roman Statesman
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