Marquez vs. Diaz Boxing Rematch In Las Vegas On HBO Fight Card

Fireworks will come at the end of July this year when boxing superstars Juan Manuel “Dinamita” Marquez takes on Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz in a rematch of their February 28, 2009 fight which was named 2009’s Fight of the Year by numerous boxing organizations and media outlets.

Marquez vs. Diaz II, scheduled for Saturday, July 31, will be for Marquez’s Ring Magazine, WBA and WBO Lightweight titles, and will take place at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

“Juan Diaz is a true warrior and I know he’s going to come at me even harder than in our first fight,” said Marquez. “He deserves the rematch and I know he will come out with everything one more time, but I’ve got some new tricks for him and I’m going to come out fast on July 31, so I expect an even faster win than last time.”

“It’s no secret that my loss to Marquez is the one that I want to get back the most,” said Diaz. “I was dominating the beginning rounds of the first fight, but I didn’t finish. This time, that won’t be the case and I promise my fans that I will get the victory on July 31.”

“This fight is the perfect way for boxing fans to enjoy a hot summer night,” said Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “Marquez and Diaz gave us one of the best fights I have ever seen and with even more at stake this time, I believe they’re going to surpass what happened in their first fight, if that’s even possible.”

“Their first fight was one of the most exciting and memorable nights of 2009,” said HBO PPV’s Mark Taffet. “Boxing fans will be looking forward to Marquez-Diaz II with a real sense of anticipation.”

On February 28, 2009, Marquez roared back from an early deficit to defeat Diaz via ninth round TKO at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas in a heated, back and forth battle filled with furious exchanges.

The action-packed war, which was referred to as “hellacious” by veteran HBO blow by blow commentator Jim Lampley, earned Fight of the Year honors from the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA), ESPN.com and the Ring Magazine.

One of Mexico’s greatest warriors, Mexico City’s Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) has won world titles in the featherweight, junior lightweight and lightweight divisions over the course of a 17-year pro career that will undoubtedly land him in the Hall of Fame.

Winner of six of his last eight bouts, with his defeats coming to Floyd “Money” Mayweather and via controversial decision to Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, “Dinamita” is still on top of his game at the age of 36, and he’s eager to remind Juan Diaz of that fact on July 31.

A pro since the age of 16, 26-year-old Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz (35-3, 17 KOs) has practically grown up in the fight game and he’s apparently learned his lessons well, as he held the world lightweight title for over three years from 2004 to 2007.

Now, looking to regain the title on July 31, the fighting pride of Houston, Texas will be coming with all guns blazing to Las Vegas, where he is 4-0 in his career.

Tickets for Marquez vs. Diaz II, which is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Marquez Boxing Promotions are priced at $350, $250, $150, $100 and $50 and are now on sale.

Tickets are available for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The Marquez vs. Diaz II pay-per-view telecast, which begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes.

The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry.