[kenyan_cheena]

The Times-Picayune

SUNDAY, 26 NOVEMBER, 2006

BROWN STOPS MARQUEZ IN 3RD, CLAIMS
WORLD LIGHTWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP

Story by Kevin Hammond

New Orleans boxer Joe Brown produced the performance of his life last night to stop Mexican legend Patricio Marquez in the 3rd round of their World Lightweight Championship bout at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. In the most anticipated clash of 2006 Brown decimated Marquez with an effort that few saw coming, referee Sean Curtin ending the contest with Marquez defenseless and slumped on the ropes at the 2:57 mark. While Brown was defending his IBF championship it was Marquez who was recognised as the world's top lightweight coming into the evening by virtue of his defeat of the Dominican Republic's Francisco Ortiz in March. Following that victory Marquez was the WBA and WBC champion but relinquished both titles in September when the two organisations refused to allow him to fight Brown. As a result of his status the unusual situation came about where Marquez actually made the walk to the ring after Brown, although the Louisiana slugger agreed to it.

In a tribute to his hometown Brown entered the arena in a robe of black with gold and white trim, under which he wore a New Orleans Saints jersey and knee-length trunks that were predominantly gold with black and white tassels running up each side, his surname stencilled in gold over a black waistband. He was accompanied by a large entourage and Champion Jack Dupree's classic blues tune "Shake Baby Shake" booming from the speaker system. Marquez followed soon after drapped in his nation's colours of red, white and green, appearing surprisingly apprehensive in contrast to Brown's calm confidence. He also had a considerable following, his support team at least a dozen strong. Both men received deafening applause from the capacity crowd, which seemed split 50/50 over who they were backing.

Once both camps were in the ring there was no repeat of the shoving match and scuffle from the previous afternoon's press conference, which had involved members of each fighter's entourage but neither Brown or Marquez themselves. Marquez had weighed in at 134.5 pounds, Brown 134.9, both looking in superb shape and ready to go. The opening bell was greeted by a wave of excitement amongst the crowd, the long-awaited clash finally under way. Some experts had predicted that Brown would take a cautious approach through the opening rounds in order to avoid Marquez's power but that assessment was quickly shot to pieces as the IBF champion was the clear aggressor in round one, pressing Marquez and catching him with a series of combinations. With the bout just ninety seconds old Marquez was already wearing a perturbed gaze but when he landed a strong right cross soon after Brown backed off.

However at the two minute mark Brown stepped in and caught Marquez with a flush left hook, the shot snapping the Mexican's head around. Brown also connected with a short uppercut from inside and a blinding three-punch salvo as the round drew to a close. He hollered as he returned to his corner. Those who had said that Brown's hand speed and workrate would be too much for Marquez certainly would have been smiling. Brown did not consolidate on his good work in the 2nd, Marquez taking what was a mostly uneventful frame. He landed a nice uppercut early on and finished the round strongly behind that fantastic jab of his and some punishing body work. The crowd was ready to settle in for an enthralling contest but could not have predicted what would take place during round three.

Coming out aggressive Brown took control much like he had in the opening frame, strafing Marquez with combinations and wobbling him thanks to a flush uppercut during the final minute. It was that punch which, in hindsight, signalled the beginning of the end as Brown followed it up soon after with a smashing left hook that sent Marquez into the ropes. His eyes had a vacant look to them and when Brown moved in and used Marquez's head as a punching bag for the next five seconds the fight was suddenly over, Marquez helpless with only the ropes keeping him upright. Replays showed that during those five seconds Brown landed all nine punches he threw, all head shots, in the following order: left jab, straight right, left hook, right hook, left jab, right hook, right hook, left hook, straight right. After Curtin pulled him away Brown walked a couple of steps and then leapt into the air, pumping his fist and screaming as his corner crew flooded the ring to celebrate with him.

In just under nine minutes of action Brown had landed an extraordinary 146 of 276 punches (52.9%), Marquez 51 of 147 (34.7%). For some five minutes after the fight's end Marquez was lying on the canvas being attended to by a ringside doctor before he was allowed to walk back to his corner, a stunned expression on his face. Brown was clearly overwhelmed by his achievement, being close to tears during the post-fight interview. His trainer Michael Louis did most of the talking, explaining how only a handful of Marquez's previous opponents had pressured him early in their fights and on each occasion the tactic had troubled the Mexican. Louis had decided to go with it and it worked spectacularly. Marquez stayed in the ring long enough to congratulate Brown and acknowledge that he'd been unable to cope with his quickness and aggression. He also said that such a disappointing defeat was not how he wanted to end his career and that he'd be back in 2007 looking to earn a rematch.

Brown is now 34-2-1(25), Marquez suffering just his third career defeat and falling to 42-3-1(34). Next up for Brown will be the Dominican Republic's Francisco Ortiz, who captured the vacant WBO lightweight belt in the evening's co-feature. In an absolute cracker of a bout Ortiz defeated Benny Diaz of the Philippines by majority decision (116-114, 115-115, 115-114). There were no knockdowns but that didn't stop it from being a classic confrontation. Employing a counter-punching style Ortiz attempted to stay on the outside for the duration but Diaz made that difficult for him, the former junior-lightweight titleholder muscling his way inside on numerous occasions and swinging for the fences in the later rounds. Ortiz held a three-point lead on all three scorecards through eight rounds and that really came in handy as Diaz finished strongly over the final four stanzas despite some nasty swelling around his right eye and a cut over his left.

The Filipino fighter's rally came just a little bit too late, though, Ortiz outlanding him 334-246 and improving his record to 37-2(30). Diaz had been dethroned as WBO junior-lightweight champion by compatriot Floriano Becite back in June and as is now 22-3-1(17). Brown and Ortiz will clash to become the inaugural IBO lightweight champion on a date to be determined, but it will almost certainly be in March. Last month the WBO and IBF came to an agreement to form a merger which will see them known collectively as the International Boxing Organisation with effect from January 1. The IBO will be staging a series of fight cards through the early months of 2007 to crown champions in each weight class, a fact that added some extra importance to last night's championship bouts. New Jersey promoter Robert Tattaglia will take on the role of IBO president once it comes into being and he was present at ringside and congratulated the combatants after each fight.

No matter what transpires next year, last night's events have seen Joe Brown take on the mantle of the best lightweight in world boxing today. There were many who doubted him and thought that Marquez would give him a boxing lesson but the shocking ease of Brown's victory almost made it appear that Mexico's premier fighter got old real fast since his fantastic display against Ortiz in March. No doubt Marquez will be put in against an opponent of considerably less talent than Brown in his next outing, and it will be interesting to see if last night was simply not his night or the beginning of the end for him. As for Brown, he now joins the likes of Bert Lytell and Jim Driscoll as one of the top non-IBL pound-for-pounders in the sport. However, if as expected he signs an exclusive contract with the IBO next year it will limit his options as far as future big money fights are concerned. Right now, though, that's probably the last thing on his mind.