Mayweather-Marquez – Old School vs. New School
Boxing has its pundits, but the truth is the sport — at its highest levels — is as pure an athletic competition as remains in the world. As a metaphor for life, the “Sweet Science” represents the universal truths — heart, courage, love, faith, desire, fear, pain, suffering, elation, and hate — in a squared circle, with two fighters engaged in a struggle. This is what Homer wrote epic poetry about.
Saturday, September 19, 2009, HBO Boxing presents Mayweather vs. Marquez. These are the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world — with many believing Marquez to have proved his pugilistic superiority in at least one of his two match-ups with current World Champion Manny Pacquiao.
Juan Manuel Márquez is the story of a Mexico City kid who grew up sharing a bedroom with eight brothers and sisters, fighting his way out of the rough streets of his barrio. The supernatural, outlier quality he possesses is his ability to sustain tremendous pain and punishment, yet still emerge with his victorious hands in the air. He trains in the mountains surrounding Mexico City, at an altitude above 11,000 feet, using rocks and boulders as his tools for building strength. He is Old School.
Floyd Joy “Money” Mayweather, Jr., was born into a boxing family. His father, Floyd, Sr., and his uncle, Roger, are both accomplished professional boxers and trainers. Floyd is one of the purest, technically sound boxers to ever lace up a pair of gloves. He brings athleticism, savvy, and blinding hand speed. He is New School.
Floyd has the skills to remain unbeaten, but many in the boxing world question his heart and his focus. Marquez, the smaller of the two fighters, is a hard-hitting, courageous man with a granite chin. Old School vs. New School. As Hemingway liked to say: Mano a Mano.
May the best boxer win. Sugar Ray Robinson, Joe Louis, Rocky Marciano, Willy Pep, Mike Tyson, and Max Baer would be proud.
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