Daniel Zaragoza & Team Marquez

Former Champ & Current Trainer of Rafael Marquez

Former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion Daniel Zaragoza is one tough southpaw who knows how to win. During his career he built a career of 55-8-3 with 28 KOs as he fought the likes of Erik Morales, Wayne McCullough, Carlos Zarate, Jeff Fenech, Frankie Duarte, among many other worthy foes.

After hanging up his gloves, he has now become known as a trainer of champs. This weekend he will be in the corner of Rafael Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs) in the main event of “Juan Manuel Lopez vs. Rafael Marquez,” promoted by Top Rank in association with Gary Shaw Promotions, PR Best Boxing and Zanfer Promotions, which will be broadcast on SHOWTIME Championship Boxing.

When the bell rings in this marquee matchup, taking place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the former fighter hopes to see his current charge become the new WBO Featherweight Champ. Scheduled for 12 rounds, Marquez is the challenger against the younger, unbeaten southpaw Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs); JuanMa is the odds-on favorite.

But don’t tell that to the lefty coach in Rafa’s corner. Team Marquez is predicting a win for their beloved “Chilango” from Mexico City. Zaragoza also hails from the same city and has pure confidence in his boxer, even if many are wondering what the 35-year-old Marquez has left in his tank, especially after his four vicious wars against Israel Vazquez.

Zaragoza has been with the Marquez camp since January, after the Mexican warrior parted ways with longtime coach Nacho Beristain, who still works with Rafael’s brother, Juan Manuel Marquez. His upcoming clash with Lopez was originally slated for September 18, but was rescheduled after Marquez injured his right thumb in a vehicle mishap. After this additional time, all eyes are now focused on this much-discussed Puerto Rico vs. Mexico rivalry.

Zaragoza was at the recent Lopez-Marquez media workout held at the Fortune Gym in Hollywood.

At this week’s open workout, cutman/trainer Tony Rivera greeted Daniel. The two had been in opposite camps years ago. “I was in the corner with Carlos Zarate when he fought Daniel,” Rivera commented. “It was at the Forum.”

After seeing him as a fighter, what does the veteran cornerman, who will work Jennifer Salina’s corner this weekend, think of Zaragoza as a trainer?

“Well, I want to see what his boxer will do this time–and if he goes the distance,” the always candid Rivera told me. “Marquez is a seasoned fighter. So it’s hard to instill new things in warriors like Marquez. And he is a warrior. Usually guys like him don’t change; he’s a veteran.”

I then spoke with Zaragoza himself. With a pal assisting me in the translation, I wanted to hear the trainers thoughts on the big showdown Saturday night. Marquez, who is a former WBC, IBF and USBA titlist, has his eye on adding another belt to his bounty. As the fighter told those gathered around that he is in “great condition to do the things I want to do,” he is still considered the underdog by the oddsmakers.

“Do you consider Rafael an underdog in this fight?” I asked his trainer.

“No!” Zaragoza quickly replied, shaking his head. “I don’t believe that! I know that Rafael is going to be the winner of this fight–I know it.”

“What about staying in the featherweight division? How has training been at the higher weight?”

“He had no problem making this weight; 126 is no problem,” the trainer, once nicknamed “The Mouse” said. “We’ll stay at this same weight. It’s his third or his fourth fight at this weight so we’ll stay at it!”

“After the fight was postponed, how did the extra time benefit your camp?” I further inquired.

“It really helped!” he confirmed. “It was more rest for him–especially since he’s going after his fourth title.”

One more question for the former world champ. “Any plans on coming back into the ring yourself–for a third fight against Paul Banke?” I teased. Daniel was surprised by this question and laughed. Zaragoza and Banke fought twice, splitting the victories. When I see Banke at various boxing events, he always mentions his wars against Daniel, whom he respects as one tough hombre.

A former WBC Super Bantamweight Champion as well, Paul Banke still has tons of respect for Zaragoza and is looking forward to seeing how he does this weekend with Marquez. “I think he’s good as a trainer,” Banke told me in a chat yesterday. “I knew he’d be a great trainer because he’s smart. And he was a really smart fighter too.”

Banke, who has been battling AIDS for years, loves to reminisce about his epic ring wars. His speech is admittedly slurred now, but his memory is sharp as a tack. “In our first fight, I knocked him down in the 9th round; I was too cocky and I was talking shit to him. It was my 20th fight, that was old-school stuff back then. It was June 22, 1989 at the Forum.” After 12 rounds, Banke lost the split decision to Zaragoza.

In their rematch, Paul was more prepared. “It was April 23, 1990. And again in the 9th round–I’ll never forget it!” he recalled. “Then there was the TKO in the 9th, he went down twice.”

While Zaragoza left his own prizefighting days behind him in 1997, his past opponent still remembers him as a fierce fighter–and one who seemingly hasn’t been affected by one too many punches in the ring.

“Daniel was very talented,” Banke says. “He was a good technician; the only problem was he had bad eyes! He got a cut every time; he would’ve lasted a lot longer than he did if he hadn’t got busted up.”

Openly frank, Paul also says he is happy that the brutality of boxing didn’t seem to have a long-term affect on his ex-foe. “Zaragoza was in a lot of great wars–but he still has his head about him!” opines Banke. “He was really banged up but he’s okay. Me, Bobby Chacon, Danny Lopez and others don’t have it as good.”

With former world champ Daniel Zaragoza in his corner, Rafael Marquez hopes to not only have a good fight Saturday night–but Team Marquez also plans on leaving the building with a brand new WBO featherweight title in tow.

Photos by Michele Chong

Tickets: www.ticketmaster.com