Israel Vazquez decisioned Rafael Marquez in a riveting 12-round battle. Vazquez’s knockdown of Marquez in the final frame was crucial to the fight’s outcome.
Vazquez-Marquez Thrillogy
Israel Vazquez (US) vs. Rafael Marquez (Mex.)
March 1, 2008
Depot Center, Carson, California
Move over Barrera-Morales, step aside Gatti-Ward, make room Bowe-Holyfield, you guys now have company in the form of Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez, who on March 1st at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, capped off their rubber match that had the sell-out crowd of over 8,000 on their feet for much of the night.
These two Mexican warriors didn’t just place themselves in the pantheon of the great modern-day trilogies. The 25 pulsating rounds they have put forth may have put them at an even higher pedestal: three fights that produced four knockdowns, two stoppages, several “round of the year” candidates, and three bouts that have or will be given “fight of the year” consideration. It doesn’t get any better than that.
After splitting their first two bouts, they amazingly enough saved the best for last with a bloody, violent and beautifully staged bout that came down to the final seconds. The conclusion, like the rivalry itself, will be talked about for ages.
In the first few rounds Marquez boxed well from the outside against the naturally bigger and stronger Vazquez, who stopped him in their rematch back in August in six rounds. Early on it looked more like their original matchup a year earlier, with Marquez controlling things with his jab and right cross. In round four Vazquez was sent to the canvas by two right hands that had him on the seat of his pants. But true to this rivalry’s nature, Vazquez would stun Marquez later in the round and both fighters were winging punches as the bell sounded.
“He surprised me,” admitted Vazquez at the post-fight presser. “He stunned me in the fourth round. He made me lose my balance. I was surprised by the amount of punches and how he was connecting. But even though I was stunned, I was not hurt at that point. So I was able to gather my strength and finish strong.”
But the early to middle rounds were being controlled by Marquez’s superior technical skills. Unlike the second fight, he would neutralize Vazquez’s left hook by keeping his right hand firmly planted on his cheek and by establishing distance between himself and his opponent. The fight featured many fierce exchanges, but neither fighter could gain a discernible advantage over the other.
But the tide seemed to turn in the tenth round when Marquez, who was warned previously several times for low blows by referee Pat Russell, was docked a point for another punch deemed south of the border. It was a key moment in the fight. A round that was won by Marquez on all three scorecards was now an even round. It would prove critical and costly for Marquez.
The eleventh was won by Vazquez, who seemed to be imposing his natural size and strength at this juncture. He would come forward and grind on Marquez from the inside. But it was clear someone would have to take the bull by the horns and take control of a fight that was still up for grabs.
As the crowd rose to its feet in appreciation and the combatants touched gloves for the 12th and final round, Vazquez, with a sense of urgency and passion that is seldom seen, charged out of his corner and began an all-out assault on Marquez, who seemed to be doing his damnedest to hold on until the very end. Vazquez landed several booming rights, while Marquez, bracing himself for every salvo, bravely stood up to the assault. But in the very final seconds, a series of shots sent Marquez sprawling off-balance, propped up only by the ropes.
Russell correctly ruled it a knockdown and administered the mandatory eight-count, allowing Marquez to survive the remaining seconds of the fight. The crowd went wild over what they had just witnessed. Vazquez, who was cut and bruised badly over both eyes, in addition to having suffered a twisted knee around the seventh stanza, had found something deep within himself to stage a legendary rally, one reminiscent of a man who was sitting ringside doing the international broadcast, Julio Cesar Chavez, who rallied to defeat Meldrick Taylor in March of 1990 with precious few ticks remaining on the clock.
And down the homestretch, Vazquez’s trainer Rudy Perez cracked the whip.
“He hit me,” said Vazquez, “but he motivated me. I was inside doing my job and he saw me from the outside and he knew I had to put my punches together to go out there and be very aggressive.”
But there was still more drama to come with the reading of the scorecards. Max De Luca had Vazquez ahead with a score of 114-111. Tom Kaczmarek had Marquez winning by the exact same score. And the third and deciding vote came from Dr. James Jen Kin who scored it 113-112 for Vazquez, who would retain his WBC 122lb. title by the slimmest of margins. The point deduction in the tenth and the final round knockdown would be the difference in the fight.
The excruciatingly close nature of the loss left Marquez nearly inconsolable.
“I’m very disappointed with the way the decision went,” he said through his co-promoter Jaime Quintana. “Really, I cannot believe that they took away a point from me when it was a clean shot to the body. In the 12th round, there shouldn’t have been an eight-count. I wasn’t down.”
You can understand how he felt. To give of yourself to that degree, and to come up just short, is a bitter pill to swallow. Especially when you believe that outside forces cost you the hard-earned victory.
Unfortunately, this being boxing, nobody was too surprised when Gary Shaw, on behalf of his fighter, announced, “We’re going to petition the WBC to call this a no-contest and take the loss off Raffy’s record.”
But perhaps things would be better served with a fourth bout—if these two could withstand another go-round.
“Where do I sign?” said an eager Vazquez. “I have a lot of respect for Rafael Marquez. I understand he is disappointed that he lost. But I do respect him because he’s a true warrior. I always knew that from the beginning.”
But some would say another fight would be too much of a good thing. And they wouldn’t necessarily be wrong in that assessment.
“I’m torn,” admitted Shaw. “Because I make a joke, I say: ‘If I had to do anything in the world, I would just take this side of the table and this side of the table and I would tour the world.’ That would be my only act. I’d have no other fighters, we would do Marquez-Vazquez world tour, city tour, county tour, whatever. Because it doesn’t get much better than this for boxing.
“This is what boxing’s all about. If you’re a golf fan and you’re my age, this was Nicklaus and Palmer walking up to the 18th green. It doesn’t get any better than this.”— Steve Kim
photo by Chris Cozzone/FightWireImages.com
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