Boxing is not dead after all! Perhaps it was just in a coma ever since Pacquiao vs. Hatton and it just took the blockbuster fight between Juan Manuel Marquez and Floyd Mayweather Jr. to bring it back to consciousness. The bout between the two superstars reportedly drew slightly over one million pay-per-view buys, more than doubling the numbers of UFC 103, which aired on the same night. It was only the fifth time in history that a non-heavyweight fight did those type of numbers. While most of the credit for the success of the event has automatically been given to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Juan Manuel Marquez also deserves recognition.
Obviously, the return of Floyd Mayweather Jr. attracted a lot of the attention to the fight. Not to mention, Floyd's fights with De La Hoya and Hatton also proved that he's a top draw in his own right. However, as we saw on the night of the fight, Marquez also has a large following and we cannot discount his popularity among the rising Latino population.
A certified superstar in his own right, his fearlessness in the ring and willingness to face the best has allowed Marquez to climb out of the shadows of his contemporaries in Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. Although he may not have won against Pacquiao, the manner in which he fought both fights earned the respect of Filipinos and others around the world. Having defeated the likes of Juan Diaz, Joel Casamayor, Rocky Juarez and Marco Antonio Barrera, his popularity has grown within the Latino community to the point where he's widely recognized as being the best Mexican boxer in the sport.
That being said, it is time to give Marquez some credit for the success of the fight. It was evident that most of the people who were in attendance, the majority of which were of Mexican decent, were there to support Marquez. As for those watching at home, you can't help but wonder the role that Marquez played in boosting pay-per-view sales after witnessing him drink his own urine during an episode of Mayweather/Marquez 24/7. A fight that was initially considered a mismatch quickly became a bout that millions were curious to see. As the old saying goes, it takes two to tango and Marquez certainly deserves to be acknowledged.