Juan Manuel Marquez Says Floyd Mayweather Doesn’t Deserve Undefeated Record: “He Lost That Fight”

Juan Manuel Marquez has talked down the credentials of retired pound-for-pound great Floyd Mayweather.

Marquez is often regarded as being one of the great Mexican fighters of all time, winning world titles in four divisions throughout the course of his 25-year career which spanned between 1993 and 2014.

He locked horns with ‘Money’ Mayweather back in 2009, suffering the fifth defeat of his campaign at the hands of the American superstar in their non-title showdown at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mayweather would remain unbeaten for the entirety of his glittering professional career, winning all 50 fights which included names such as Canelo Alvarez, Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao.

Whilst speaking to Clarica ahead of Mayweather’s 2015 bout against Pacquiao, Marquez initially paid homage to the pound-for-pound star, but expressed his disbelief at the result of his 2002 showdown with Jose Luis Castillo, which many felt should have gone in favour of the Mexican.

“He has the defensive resources, technique, speed and counter-attacks to do a lot of damage to Pacquiao, and I think he will impose [those traits]. I know how judges perform in Las Vegas, as we saw in that fight where José Luis Castillo beat [Mayweather]. However, [the judges] gave it to Mayweather and Pacquiao has no alternative but to knock Mayweather out to end his undefeated record.”

Floyd faced Castillo twice in the space of eight months back in 2002, with their first encounter ending in controversy after it was argued that the two-time world lightweight champion had done more than enough to hand Mayweather the first defeat of his career.

The pair locked horns again in the December of that year, although it was a more comprehensive performance from the American who successfully defended his WBC world lightweight title for the first time, defeating Castillo via unanimous decision at the Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas.

Castillo would retire in 2014 with 66 winds from 80 fights.