Likar Ramos Was No Statement-Making Fight for Juan Manuel Marquez

This past Saturday, July 16, Juan Manuel Marquez (53-5-1) knocked out Likar Ramos (24-4-0) in the first round of their bout in Cancun, Mexico. After Marquez’s victory, many articles and forums were buzzing about his victory, proposing that Marquez is ready for Manny Pacquiao.

While many fans may see a victory over Ramos as a statement that Marquez is serious about giving team Pacquiao a run for their money, I am standing on the other side of the fence when regarding this topic. The fight and the result show nothing of substance about Marquez’s improvement or intention.

Ramos was never supposed to be a statement-making opponent. Sure his record is decent when looking exclusively at the numbers, but when it comes to competition, he is a blank canvas for such a tremendous name as Marquez. A first-round knockout makes this fight even less demonstrative for Marquez, as his stamina and ability to be further challenged along the fight was left absent.

At 144 pounds, Marquez should feel pretty comfortable, with minimal if any loss of speed or power. Same goes for Pacquiao, despite the fact that he will have to drop a few pounds for this bout.

Is Marquez ready for Pacquaio? I am hoping that he is not only ready, but is mentally prepared for a loss. Since their earlier fights, Pacquiao has improved in all aspects of his performance, and Freddie Roach, being a master strategist, has probably uncovered all there is to in Marquez. Maybe I am being a bit pessimistic, but pessimism and realism can go hand in hand.

I am a huge “Dinamita” fan, and will be cheering for him come November 12, when he steps inside the ring to face Manny Pacquiao (53-3-2) for the third time in Las Vegas, Nev.

Having said that, I try to be rational when it comes to discussing matters as such, as there is only one person you can fool when being one-sided; yourself.