| Title: | Former WBC Feather Champion | |
| Record: | W 63 (42 ko's) | L 5 | D 0 | |
| Age: | 33 | |
| Reach: | 70" | |
| Height: | 5'6" | |
| Stance: | Orthodox | |
Juan Manuel Marquez won his first world title – in vacant featherweight division of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) – on February 1, 2003, by defeating fellow Mexican Manuel Medina via technical knockout in the seventh of a 12-round match in Las Vegas.
His next three matches were less than spectacular.
A few months later, on September 3, he won his 10-round match against Mexican Marcos Licona, who was retired due to injury after the ninth round.
On November 1, he snatched the the World Boxing Association (WBA) featherweight title and defended his own IBF title, by beating American Derrick Gainier on a technical decision in the seventh of the 12-round match.
Then on May 8, 2004, he ran against what must have felt like a brick wall – Filipino Manny Pacquiao, who knocked him down thrice in the very first round. But the judges ruled the match a draw, a controversial decision that had many Filipinos, of course, thought was biased in favor of the Mexican.
The next year turned out just as bad for Marquez. The WBA and IBF stripped him of his titles, because he failed to arrange matches with potentital challengers.
On Aug. 5, 2005, he managed to bounce back with a more convincing TKO win against Tersdak Jandaeng of Thailand, for the World Boxing Organization
(WBO) featherweight title. A few months later, on Nov. 25, he defended that title against Filipino challenger Jimrex Jaca, whom he knocked out in the ninth of his 12-round match.
Gaining some pounds, Marquez then went after the World Boxing Council
(WBC) super featherweight title, which he managed to strip from compatriot Marco Antonio Barrera via unanimous decision in a March 17, 2007, match that went all they way to 12 rounds.
His defense of the title, on Nov. 3 of the same year, was also via unanimous decision against Rocky Juarez.
On March 15 (March 16 in the Philippines), he returns to Las Vegas to face Pacquiao again to finish what for many boxing fans, especially in the Philippines, consider unfinished business.
The answer to two questions may turn out to be crucial to the outcome of the match: Will the memory of the three knock downs he suffered in the hands of the Filipino dampen his determination to win? Will he be haunted by the thought that Barrera, the man he wrested the WBC title from, proved no match for Pacquiao in their Oct. 6, 2007, match? - GMANews.TV
