Marquez vs. Diaz II Set For July 31 At Mandalay Bay In Las Vegas And Live On HBO PPV; PRESS CONFRENCE QUOTES

Posted on | May 1, 2010 | No Comments

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ VS. JUAN DIAZ II IS SET FOR JULY 31 AT MANDALAY BAY LIVE ON HBO PAY-PER-VIEW®

UNIFIED LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP ON THE LINE IN REMATCH OF 2009 FIGHT OF THE YEAR

LAS VEGAS, MAY 1 – Fireworks will come at the end of July this year when boxing superstars Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez takes on Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz in a rematch of their February 28, 2009 fight which was named 2009’s Fight of the Year by numerous boxing organizations and media outlets.

Marquez vs. Diaz II, scheduled for Saturday, July 31, will be for Marquez’s Ring Magazine, WBA and WBO Lightweight World titles, and will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

“Juan Diaz is a true warrior and I know he’s going to come at me even harder than in our first fight,” said Marquez. “He deserves the rematch and I know he will come out with everything one more time, but I’ve got some new tricks for him and I’m going to come out fast on July 31, so I expect an even faster win than last time.”

“It’s no secret that my loss to Marquez is the one that I want to get back the most,” said Diaz. “I was dominating the beginning rounds of the first fight, but I didn’t finish. This time, that won’t be the case and I promise my fans that I will get the victory on July 31.”

“This fight is the perfect way for boxing fans to enjoy a hot summer night,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Marquez and Diaz gave us one of the best fights I have ever seen and with even more at stake this time, I believe they’re going to surpass what happened in their first fight, if that’s even possible.”

“Their first fight was one of the most exciting and memorable nights of 2009,” said HBO PPV’s Mark Taffet. “Boxing fans will be looking forward to Marquez-Diaz II with a real sense of anticipation.”

On February 28, 2009, Marquez roared back from an early deficit to defeat Diaz via ninth round TKO at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas in a heated, back and forth battle filled with furious exchanges. The action-packed war, which was referred to as “hellacious” by veteran HBO blow by blow commentator Jim Lampley, earned Fight of the Year honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), ESPN.com and the Ring Magazine.

One of Mexico’s greatest warriors, Mexico City’s Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) has won world titles in the featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight divisions over the course of a 17-year pro career that will undoubtedly land him in the Hall of Fame. Winner of six of his last eight bouts, with his defeats coming to Floyd “Money” Mayweather and via controversial decision to Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, “Dinamita” is still on top of his game at the age of 36, and he’s eager to remind Juan Diaz of that fact on July 31.

A pro since the age of 16, 26-year-old Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs) has practically grown up in the fight game and he’s apparently learned his lessons well, as he held the world lightweight title for over three years from 2004 to 2007. Now, looking to regain the title on July 31, the fighting pride of Houston, Texas will be coming with all guns blazing to Las Vegas, where he is 4-0 in his career.

Tickets for Marquez vs. Diaz II, which is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Boxing Promotions are priced at $350, $250, $150, $100 and $50 and are now on sale. Tickets are available for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The Marquez vs. Diaz II pay-per-view telecast, which begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Marquez vs. Diaz II fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

MARQUEZ VS. DIAZ II ANNOUNCEMENT PRESS CONFERNECE QUOTES

JUAN MANUEL MARQUEZ, WBA, WBO, and Ring Magazine World Lightweight Champion

“I am going to forget our first fight. It is like it never happened. I am going in as if this were our first meeting.

“A lot of people are asking me why Juan Diaz again? There are two reasons. Number one, he is a great fighter and deserves a rematch. Number two, the people deserve a great fight like this.

“Our fight was the fight of the year in 2009 and it may be the fight of the year again in 2010. Finally I want to give the people a great fight, especially the Mexican people. The Mexican people are always giving me support in this difficult sport and I want to do a good job for the Mexican people.

“You are all going to see two warriors who will give everything they have and leave everything in the ring.

“We Mexicans are always ready to die in the ring. I have already shown that age is not an issue with me. I am ready, I prepare well and I am ready to show everyone what I can do.

“I like the wars because the people like to see those types of fights.

“I learned a lot in the Mayweather fight because he has great skills.

“I came back to lightweight because at welterweight I lost a lot of speed.

“It will be a great fight because I come back from fighting Mayweather and Juan comes back from fighting Malignaggi.

“We are going to work very closely with a doctor to get down to weight.

“I am going to move my legs much more, I am going to use lateral movements and use speed to my advantage.”

JUAN DIAZ, Former Three-Time World Lightweight Champion

“Thank you for complimenting me on the way I am dressed. I am a lawyer in the making so I have to start now.

“I am very excited because I have two things going on in these next couple of months. I have the second biggest fight of my career. I have some career defining decisions. On June 7, I am going to take the LSAT and those logic puzzles are kicking my butt.

“I am excited because this is going to be a great summer for myself, for my family, and for my team.

“People are saying this is going to be a must win fight for me. I see this as redemption. Redemption for what I was going to accomplish in 2009, but it wasn’t meant to be in 2009. Come July 31, I am going to pick up in the ninth round. I left off in the ninth round last time, and I am going to pick it up from there.

“I have been hitting the gym hard strengthening my body and I am going the full nine yards to give myself the best of the opportunities that I can.

“I believe our destinies are not certain, but I believe we can shape our destinies. I want to say to all the naysayers who say my destiny has been written, I am going to show them that I can become the undisputed lightweight world champion one more time.

“Adjustment is part of the game and Juan Manuel Marquez is going to adjust tremendously just like Malignaggi did in our fight. I held back a little more against Malignaggi. I know that Marquez is going to adjust to my way of thinking. So I am going to have to adjust to that.

“I know that 140 is not my weight class, but it didn’t take anything away from me.

“In the Malignaggi fight people assumed that I got tired in the later rounds. I wasn’t tired, I was fatigued. There is a difference. Before the fight I couldn’t sit down. I couldn’t stop thinking about the fight. I was anxious, I was excited, so in the later rounds the fatigue set in.

“I know that it wasn’t his weight division (147 lbs). I still know he is a heck of an opponent. I know it is going to be a battle July 31.

“Taking the LSAT is helping me think. I think keeping my mind in shape gives me an advantage. Me going to school is going to help my physical and mental being.

“I tell people how school is so important. I am not the most talented, I don’t have the chiseled body, but I think my education and the way I communicate has gotten me this far.

“A lot of people don’t believe in me or think I can become world champion. I believe and know I can perform better under pressure.

“Right now I am not thinking about anybody but Juan Manuel Marquez. But after I beat Marquez I am ready to take on anyone.”

IGNACIO BERISTAIN, Marquez’s Trainer

“Thank you for being here. Thank you for the support. July 31 is going to be a great fight with Mr. Bull here. He is Mexican even though he lives in the States and like all great Mexicans we come to fight so it is going to be a great night.”

WILLIE SAVANNAH, Diaz’s Manager

“Without HBO Juan would not be where he is today. I would like to thank Juan Manuel and Nacho. I met him (Marquez) when he was 16 years old. We go way back.

“Juan graduated from college in May and now he will go and get his belts back like he did before.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

“We priced this fight well so fight fans with any size of pocketbook can come out and have a great summer weekend in Las Vegas.

“Styles make fights and I think these two guys are made for each other. Fights of the year run in the Marquez family. Marquez and his brother Rafael are extremely exciting fighters. Of course, Juan Diaz the young baby bull is not that young anymore and he learned a lot from the first fight.

“This is a rematch of the fight of the year and we really want to make this the night of the year. I promise you, and you can hold me to it, it will be an exciting undercard. It will be an accumulation of main events. They will be fights that could stand on their own.

“Diaz’s accomplishments outside of the ring are great as well. (To Diaz) The boxing family is proud of you. There are very few fighters that have accomplished so much at such a very young age. I know you are going to come to show who you are and try to be world champion again.

“Marquez is a great warrior. He always comes to fight. He has been in many of the most epic fights and epic battles. We are very proud as well of Marquez being a part of Golden Boy Promotions family. He is truly one of the warriors of the sport.”