Juan Diaz (L) of the U.S. takes a punch from Juan Manuel Marquez of Mexico during the WBA/WBO lightweight title fight at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, July 31, 2010. REUTERS/Steve Marcus

Marquez calls out Pacquiao after defeating Diaz
Marquez calls out Pacquiao after defeating Diaz
Posted: Sunday, 01 August 2010 01:41AM

By Kieran Mulvaney

LAS VEGAS (Reuters) - Juan Manuel Marquez retained his WBA and WBO lightweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over American Rocky Juarez on Saturday before demanding a third fight with Mannay Pacquiao.

The Mexican drew with the Filipino in 2004 and suffered a narrow defeat four years later but will hope to come away with a victory if they meet for a third time.

"The trilogy with Pacquiao is what I want," said Marquez, 51-5-1, (37 KOs). "Everybody wants to see it. It's good for all fight fans, for the Mexicans, the Filipinos. Everyone wants to see it. That's the most important fight for me now."

The fight with Diaz was a rematch of a February 2009 contest, in which Diaz set the pace early before Marquez took control and scored a knockout in the eighth round.

There were no knockdowns this time, but on several occasions Marquez appeared to hurt Diaz with sharp combinations. He landed more than Diaz in every one of the twelve rounds and in total scored with 288 punches, 133 more than his opponent.

Diaz, 35-4 (17 KOs) said he had intended to set a more measured pace than in the previous encounter, but that Marquez had thwarted his plans.

"I fought the best fight I could," he said.

"I think I fought a good fight. We were trading punches. I didn't want to stand in front of him. The game plan was to get in there, throw combinations, step around him and get out.

"But it was tough and I got hit with some good punches. He's a great fighter."

(Editing by John O'Brien)

(c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2010. Check for restrictions at: http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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