Last nite’s HBO Saturday "after dark" offering featuring Juan Manuel Marquez in with young and talented Jimrex Jaca, surprised all with a nip-n-tuck barn burner that saw a bloodied but unbowed Marquez dropping the curtain in stanza nine of a scheduled 12 rounder.

The Marquez resume` is an open book for those that follow the game - still seen as tops among the fertile field of ‘26 pound talent, his past meeting two years back with Manny Pacquiao cemented the rest of the story for the Mexican native now calling California home.

None seeing that one that closed in a standoff, could possibly forget the opening stanza, with a lightning quick Filipino Pac-man out of the gate and dropping Marquez three times before the round ending bell arrived - then it was the Mexican superstar the more dominant over the backside rounds of six thru 12.

Jaca of Cebu City, Philippines had a whole different calling card   - one that described him more a boxer in style, and single similarity to Manny the more celebrated countryman, is in working from the port side - and then the opening bell.

Surprise, surprise, with Jaca backing the jab with power punches as he engaged the bigger banger in a sizzling opening candle - edge Marquez on better quality - and it would continue in the mode down to the big stanza nine finis.

Entering numero five the picture was Marquez in control with the power advantage and Jaca making it competitive while willing to wage battle in the trenches for better or worse - then a clash of heads - and Marquez bleeding from gash above and aside the right eye.

The taste of blood saw the Mexican picking up the pace in number six - maybe thinking the scoring too close for comfort - a second "inadvertent" would worsen the leaking over the right orbit, and now  wearing a mask of red he looked a bull charging the matador - enter fool third clown in charge Laurence Cole.

This, a first ever for me over an all too many years watching boxing - the hometown Texas "neutral" hack in charge calls a pause in the action - walks Marquez to a neutral corner and is heard loud and clear, " How are you … feel like continuing? - then the proverbial bomb - you are ahead on points and it will go to the judges if you cannot go on."

Marquez waves off the offer and continues where he had left off, and then candle nine, and a it’s a left hook dropping the fading Filipino … no sooner on his feet Jaca is then on receiving end of a combination that went right/left, double left hook - and the bloodied but unbowed Marquez lifted both gloves to the heavens in victory.

Post Scripts: JM Marquez ~ (46-3-1, 34KO’s) - superb outing in skills, still has quality reflexes and the strong punching power is visible from both sides. Basic combos enforced with inside uppercuts with both hands. Good chin and heart second to none. No hint of age 33 slowdown in a pace that was non-stop. Didn’t take the post-fite in ring idiot hysterian baite of who next. Says here, this one coupled with the prior Pacquiao battle of attrition  points to rematch with Indonesian Chris John or better yet a no-title affair with Marcos Barrera.
                       Jimrex Jaca ( 27-3-1, 13 KO’s) ~ kid is age 23 … same as the Guerrero, Litzau levels getting the ink that goes with being "connected" … no problems here but this Filipino baby earned similar recognition as the Yankee equivalents on paper. Worthy of another peek at HBO, Sho-Box, Versus levels. Jimrex lacks big power and if working from the port side with them quick hands from the outside would serve him better over the long run.
                       Referee Laurence Cole - has sort of struck it rich at the Lone Star State … think daddy is the hook. Had hoped he’d behave from a distance and maybe free the viewers from the verbals and slapping, arm tugging idiocy. Worked for awhile as the action was pretty much clinch-free - but the "you can call it off now and get the win, you’re ahead on thE cards" baffles the imagination. Even in "outta town" Texas country.

GEL  - 

11-26-06