Tonight is the Juan Manuel Marquez vs Mikey Alvarado Welterweight title fight in Las Vegas’ MGM Grand. Right now on fight night, the books have Marquez a comfortable favorite at (-265) with the comeback on Alvarado at (+220).
Watching the spanish language and Mexican media with regards to this fight, you almost get the sense that it is a coronation of Marquez. Marquez, now 40, broke the big jinx in his career when he left Manny Pacquiao face down, but he failed in his subsequent attempt to grab a world title in a 5th weight class when he lost to Timothy Bradley. The feeling in general is that Marquez will not fail a second time.
He is 1-1 in his last 2 outings, but nothing in those two outings has left anyone thinking that Marquez has slipped at all. He looked good against Bradley. Marquez has been in the big money for some time, and that has translated into more professional training and preparation, and most feel that Marquez is still in his prime. For Marquez, who is already slotted for the Hall of Fame, the championship in the fifth weight class is a legacy maker, as he would be the first Mexican to achieve that feat. Marquez is still among the very elite.
And the feeling is that as good as he is, Mikey Alvarado is at least a notch below Marquez. Alvarado is a gritty fighter who has thrived in setting a high pace and he has put on some near heroic performances winning fights while he is swollen and bleeding. Marquez however, with his improved conditioning and world class training has exhibited increasing power as he has gone up in weight, and engaging in a firefight with a more skilled fighter is not the best way to earn a ‘w’ for Alvarez.
It is either going to happen or it is not, but there is something that is not to like about the confidence around Marquez. No doubt Mexicans know boxing, however they have a very Mexicano-centric view of the boxing world and the media gives the impression that a Marquez win is a foregone conclusion. If your pulling for the dog, it may be worth waiting until the last minute, to see if Marquez money comes in. Right now the line does not reflect the public rhetoric about the fight.
