The Case for Juan Manuel Marquez Against Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

I do not believe that Juan "Dinamita" Manuel Marquez (50-4-1, 37 KOs)  is going to defeat Floyd "Money" Mayweather (39-0, 25 KOs) in two weeks. But I have seen much stranger things happen in my 25+ years watching boxing.

Shoot, I wouldn't exactly call it strange if arguably the second or third best active fighter in the world (Marquez) defeated the former pound-for-pound king (Mayweather).

Here's why I could see Marquez springing the mild upset:

1. Ring Activity. While Mayweather has been off for nearly two years dabbling in professional wrestling, celebrity dancing and cheesy Internet commercials, "Dinamita" has spent his time taking Manny Pacquiao to the brink, and handing Joel Casamayor and Juan Diaz their first defeats via knockout. It's not just that he's been active. It's who he's been active against.
2. Fight Location. Yes, I know that "Money" currently makes Las Vegas, Nevada his home. And that Marquez has not always been the biggest draw. However, since this fight takes place so close to Mexican Independence Day (Sept. 16) and "Sin City" has a heavy Mexican fan base, we all know what could happen in a close, distance fight.
3. "Un Hombre Malo." For the linguistically-challenged, that means "a bad man" in Spanish. And that's what Marquez is. He's one helluva fighter. In my opinion, he's the most technically-skilled fighter that Mayweather will have ever faced. It'll be interesting to see how Mayweather reacts to a man who may be the closest thing to his equal in terms of ring smarts.

In short, do not sleep on Juan Manuel Marquez. As much as people praise Manny Pacquiao (and I am one of those people), they should not forget that "Dinamita" easily could have gotten the decision in each of his fights against the Pac Man. Although my money will be on Mayweather, there's no dog in this underdog.