Marquez admits he's a sore loser

MANILA, Philippines - Juan Manuel Marquez hates to lose. And in his professional boxing history, the Mexican’s record lists five defeats – to Javier Duran on a first round disqualification in his pro debut in 1993, to Freddie Norwood on a unanimous decision in 1999, to Chris John on a unanimous decision in 2006, to Manny Pacquiao on a split decision in 2008 and to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on a unanimous decision in 2009.

It’s a testament to Marquez’ durability and staying power that he has never been knocked out or stopped. He has taken eight mandatory eight-counts and each time, got up to go the distance. Against Pacquiao, he was floored thrice in the first round of their initial encounter in 2004 and once in the third round of their rematch in 2008. He was floored by Darryl Pinckney but recovered to win on points in 1996. Marquez was also knocked down by Michael Katsidis but stood up to halt the Australian. Norwood and Mayweather sent Marquez to the canvas once apiece. Marquez was clearly decked by Marco Antonio Barrera in 2007 but referee Jay Nady ruled it a slip. In any case, Marquez outpointed Barrera.

To this day, Marquez insists he was robbed twice in his two fights against Pacquiao. This weekend, he has a chance to prove himself. Marquez and Pacquiao face off in their third encounter with the WBO welterweight title at stake in Las Vegas.

“I’ll admit it, I’m a sore loser,” said Marquez, quoted by Joseph Santoliquito in The Ring Magazine (June 2009). “I’ve accomplished so much in my career that I’m somewhat satisfied but I think I was robbed the first two Pacquiao fights. I want to be free and clear of that Pacquiao thorn. I won’t think I’m the best until I beat Pacquiao. That’s still a thorn in my side and I want more than anything to have my arm raised after a fight with Pacquiao. That’s what I think will satisfy me. Manny Pacquiao is on my mind.”

Marquez said in whatever sport he plays, he plays to win. “I don’t like to lose,” he continued. “It really is that simple. I’m the world’s worst sore loser. You see that look, that look you call the ‘El Diablo’ look, that comes from when I was a kid playing in the streets regardless of what I played. You can go back and see pictures of me as an amateur or when I played other sports. I had that same look on my face.”

Although Marquez detests losing, bad luck has hounded even when he was a boy. It’s like a curse he can’t get rid of. When he was 12, Marquez competed in a Mexican national amateur tournament. He won his first bout then in his second, lost the decision he claimed he deserved. 

“I’ve had it, so I quit,” he recalled. “I thought I won that fight and got ripped off. I did quit and after three days, I came back. Everyone around me convinced me I had to come back, that there were bigger things ahead of me in boxing if I stayed with it. I remember that experience because it made me stronger. That loss made me train harder than I ever trained before. I was determined that something like that would never happen again.”

As a rising amateur star, Marquez was touted to be a future Olympic medalist until he met a freak accident. He fell from a tree in the backyard of their family home and hurt his back. The injury sidelined Marquez for two years and wiped out his hopes of representing Mexico in the Olympics. Recovered from the injury, he turned pro in 1993. Alas, in his pro debut, his opponent Duran suffered a ugly cut from an unintentional headbutt and couldn’t continue in the first round. Under Mexican athletic commission rules, Marquez was declared the loser by disqualification. Under international rules, the bout would’ve been declared a technical draw. Marquez couldn’t get a break as bad luck continued to follow him into the pros.

After the draw with Pacquiao in 2004, Marquez priced himself out of an immediate rematch and instead accepted a fight against Chris John in Indonesia for a much lower purse in a twist that smeared his manager-trainer Nacho Beristain’s reputation as an astute negotiator. Worse, Marquez lost to John. It was not until 2008 that Marquez got a rematch with Pacquiao and he lost that one, too.

Hard-luck Marquez made another poor decision to fight Mayweather in a welterweight bout in 2009. A natural lightweight, Marquez scaled 142 pounds and couldn’t carry the extra weight in losing a lopsided verdict to Mayweather. It was the only fight he ever weighed at least 140. In the third fight against Pacquiao, the catchweight limit is 144 and Marquez has reportedly bulked up to approximate the weight.

With Pacquiao wiping out Mexican opposition like a street sweeper brandishing a giant broom, Marquez is his country’s only hope of turning the tide.  Marquez fancies himself as a Mexican hero.

“To Marquez, the average Mexican fan sitting in the upper deck doesn’t need four beers to imagine they see a little of themselves in him,” wrote Santoliquito. “Marquez came from the same dirt-poor background they did. Those are his people, his fans, some of whom have supported him throughout his arduous journey to the pinnacle. The big difference is that they are rapidly growing in number. Marquez is the touchstone of Mexican fighters.”

Writer Salvador Rodriguez said, “At this moment, Mexicans look at Juan Manuel Marquez as the best of the best out of all Mexican fighters … Marquez is the kind of fighter who doesn’t fight too much in a typical Mexican style but he’s become a warrior to the Mexican people and to fans all over the world.”