Juan Manuel Marquez vs. Sergey Fedchenko: Predicting Epic Mexico City Showdown

Juan Manuel Marquez has everything going for him in a bout against Ukrainian Sergey Fedchenko, which makes this the perfect fight to get all his post-Pacquiao frustration out. 

We all know Marquez is still fuming about a controversial end to his last fight against Manny Pacquiao—one that he wholly believes he won. 

It's for that reason that he continues to box, in hope that a fourth and final fight with Pac-Man looms in the distance.

He said as much recently (via the Miami Herald):

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The main reason for me to continue is that I want a rematch with Manny. I think I won the last fight and I am looking for the rematch.

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That being said, he isn't fighting Manny Pacquiao. He is instead boxing Sergey Fedchenko, a 30-1 (13 KOs) boxer who is riding a seven-bout win streak. More than that, he is hungry to make his mark against a marquee name. 

The danger of overlooking a lesser fighter is very real for Marquez. However, don't expect an epic upset, because this will go down just as we expect it to. 

The Mexican star is far too poised in the ring to ever give up enough for Fedchenko to really hurt him. He is fast and stingy on defense, but more than anything, he is driven. 

If you are looking for one intangible that sets this fight firmly in Marquez's corner, it's that he is not done fighting. At 38, it's remarkable that Marquez can push a fighter like Pacquiao to the limit, and it's that form that will have him pummel Fedchenko. 

Meanwhile, the lesser-known fighter isn't going to overpower Marquez. A good amount of his notable wins have come on points, and there is no hope in outpointing an expert. 

ESPN's Dan Rafael gives us some more:

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As for Fedchenko's notable wins? There aren't many to pick from, but here's the best I can come up with: He outpointed former titlist (and now ultimate journeyman opponent) DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley in November 2010. This past November, Fedchenko outpointed France'sWilly Blain, a 2004 Olympian probably best known in the U.S. for a seventh-round knockout loss to future titleholder Lamont Peterson on HBO in an undercard bout. 

Other than that, Fedchenko's résumé is a wasteland.

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This is Fedchenko's first marquee opponent, and it will show early. I think he will come out and perform better than expected, but that's largely because he is an unknown quantity. 

I saw enough in Marquez's last fight against a legend to know that he still has a few fights of top-notch boxing left in him.

Marquez wins this one early, perhaps in the fifth or sixth round. I just don't see it going the distance. 

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