Marquez-Diaz-The Rematch The best fireworks display 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. In that memorable fight, Marquez roared back from an early deficit to defeat Diaz via ninth-round TKO at 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 expert commentator Jim Lampley, earned Fight of the Year honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America, ESPN.com and Ring Magazine. “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, 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.” “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.” One of Mexico’s greatest warriors, Mexico City’s Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) has won world titles in the featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight divisions over the course of a 17-year pro career dating back to 1993 that will undoubtedly land him in the Hall of Fame. His record includes wins over Manuel Medina, Derrick Gainer, Marco Antonio Barrera, Rocky Juarez, Joel Casamayor (on tonight’s excellent undercard) and Diaz. 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 Diaz of that. He will be defending his WBA and WBO lightweight titles tonight. After turning pro in 2000 at the age of 16, Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs), now 26, has practically grown up in the fight game. He won his first 24 fights before winning the world lightweight title in 2004 at age 20, becoming the youngest active world champion in more than 30 years. Diaz held the world crown for close to four years until 2008. Now looking to regain the 135-pound title a little over two years later, the fighting pride of Houston, Texas will be coming with all guns blazing to Las Vegas, where he is 4-0 in his career. In a spectacular undercard, New York phenom Daniel “The Golden Child” Jacobs (20-0, 17 KOs) looks to capture his first world championship when he takes on Russian Dmitry Pirog (16-0, 13 KOs) for the vacant WBO middleweight crown. Former three-time World Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero (26-1-1, 18 KOs) and future Hall of Famer/former four-time World Champion Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor (37-4-1, 22 KOs) will square off in a junior welterweight bout that will put the winner in line for a huge fight in either the lightweight or super lightweight divisions. Former two-time World Champion Jorge “El Niño De Oro” Linares (28-1, 19 KOs) will face perennial contender and 2000 Olympic Silver Medalist Rocky Juarez (28-6-1, 20 KOs) in a lightweight bout that is a must-win, crossroads fight for each boxer. Recently added to tonight’s outstanding show is the IBF super middleweight title elimination fight between Sakio Bika (28-3-2, 19 KOs) and Jean Paul Mendy (28-0-1, 16 KOs).