Marquez and Vazquez End One Story; Perez and Mares Start Another

Los Angeles, CA- Fans in The Staples Center in LA witnessed the possible (some say hopeful) end of Israel Vazquez's (44-5, 33 KOs) long, accomplished career as heated rival, Rafael Marquez (39-5, 35 KOs), stopped him in three exciting rounds.

The bout was hardly dull, but it was a bit of a let-down as Vazquez seemed to be a step behind Marquez and appeared to be sporting fresh, barely-healed scar tissue above his left eye (which would be brutally ripped open in the first round).

After two relatively even rounds, Marquez put the pressure on in the third and dropped Vazquez, who was bleeding heavily from two cuts, one over each eye. Marquez put on the pressure and left the ref no option but to stop the fight halfway through the third.

After the bout, both fighters were eager to sign on for a fifth bout in their series, but Vazquez's manager, Frank Espinoza Jr., commented that this would be the last fight of his client's career.

In the televised opener, IBF Bantamweight champ, Yonnhy Perez (20-0-1, 14 KOs), fought to a majority draw with Abner Mares (20-0-1, 13 KOs) in a thrilling display of boxing professionalism.

Mares used his legs for the majority of the bout, opting to stick and move while Perez stalked him and tried to coax his younger rival into a back and forth ground war.

The beginning and end of the bout seemed to belong to Mares while the middle rounds were Perez's. The judges saw it 115-113 for Mares and 114-114 from the other two. The BTBC had it scored 116-112 for Mares.

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Controversial Fight Series: Vazquez-Marquez III

With the fourth fight only around the corner, The Boxing Tribune's panel of judges take another look at Israel Vazquez's stunning last gasp victory over Rafael Marquez to win via split decision. But did Marquez do enough to win on the basis of the opening rounds? Dafs117, Siren1927 and Sooterkin are the judges and will decide if the right warrior got the nod in the best trilogy in living memory.

The Tiebreaker - WBC Super Bantamweight Title
ISRAEL VAZQUEZ (42-4, 31 KO, WBC Titleholder)
vs.
RAFAEL MARQUEZ (37-4, 33 KO)
March 1, 2008 | Home Depot Center - Carson, CA

Round 1

"It's on." -- Al Bernstein

Siren 1927 - "Rafael Marquez just edges the round in what is probably the tamest round of the trilogy, they only go to war for two of the three minutes, which in this series is quite disapointing!" 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez starts on the inside, with Marquez looking to score with the jab. Marquez lands a sweet counter left after Vazquez misses with a left hook. Vicious left hook to the body from Marquez. Vazquez stuck with a jab, but fires back with some body work of his own. Marquez stuns Vazquez, but Vazquez comes back with an uppercut of his own. Vazquez is punishing Marquez on the inside, before Marquez rocks Vazquez with a hook. Great start." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "Bright start from both fighters, but Marquez edges the round with the better work behind the jab." 10-9 Marquez

Round 2

Siren1927 - "Great round with lively back and forth action. Both guys are really going at it, amazing action from both sides. 10-10 is probably fair, but as you all know we don't do even rounds in The Boxing Tribune." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez doubles up on the jab, and now they have a jabbing contest. Vazquez backs Rafael to the ropes, but Marquez wisely gets out quickly. A stiff jab from Marquez, and a right from Vazquez makes Marquez think twice about coming forward off the jab. Hook to the body from Vazquez, Marquez keeps jabbing. Those are just brutal jabs. Marquez is winning this round again. Vazquez shakes Marquez! Marquez shakes Vazquez! Monster left hook to the body from Marquez." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "It's a level pegging round until the final minute or so, where Marquez's greater jab work and a huge left hook to the body wins him the round." 10-9 Marquez

Round 3

Siren1927 - "Marquez dominates the round and wins it on pure activity in my opinion. Another great round." 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "From the 15 rounds that they've fought so far, we've learned that as hard as Marquez hits, Vazquez hits harder. As good a boxer as Vazquez is, Marquez is better. And it looks to stay that way here. They're trading inside again. Vazquez opens with a counter right. Vazquez is definitely the aggressor, but Marquez lands again with that 1-2 combo that Vazquez defended so well in the second fight. Hard right from Vazquez, and follows up with a left hook. The first low blow from Marquez. Just a warning this time. Slight edge to Vazquez." 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "The aggression from Vazquez topped with the accurate hooks and body work win him a very tough round that could really go either way." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 4

Siren1927 - "Marquez outboxes Vazquez for the majority of the round, before dropping him. Then with fifty seconds to go in the round, the fight finally wakes up as they both get hurt, swing for the fences and show us what the word heart actually means." 10-9 Marquez (-1 knockdown for Vasquez)

Dafs117 - "Long right from Vazquez lands, followed by a body attack. Nice right from Marquez, countered with a solid left from Vazquez. They trade their signature punches, Marquez's straight right and Vazquez's left hook. Marquez is back to controlling the fight with his jab. A left hook from Marquez stuns Vazquez, and a right hand to follow and down goes Vazquez! He's up and a little wobbly, but he comes back straight on Marquez! Amazing stuff, Marquez is wobbled! Left hook from Vazquez, right hand from Marquez! Left hook clatters Vazquez, and another right from Marquez! Right from Vazquez, uppercut from Marquez! BELL!" 10-9 Marquez (-1 knockdown for Vasquez)

Sooterkin - "The best round of the trilogy, as Marquez floors Vazquez with a solid right hand, before Vazquez comes off the canvas to wobble Marquez. Great stuff." 10-9 Marquez (-1 knockdown for Vasquez)

After 4 Rounds: Siren1927: 39-36 Marquez; Dafs117: 39-36 Marquez; Sooterkin: 39-36 Marquez;

Round 5

Siren1927 - "Another fantastic round, Izzy edged it on the basis of better work and more accurate power shots." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Just about recovered from the last round, ready for the next? Accurate combo from Marquez, but Vazquez comes back with a 1-2 of his own. This is incredible! Vazquez with an uppercut, Marquez with a left hook. Vazquez stings him with a short check hook. Big left hook from Vazquez! Marquez is wobbled, but lands a thudding body shot. Vazquez is now getting inside and doing his thing. Huge straight right from Marquez! Vazquez is getting beaten pretty soundly at this point. The jab is scoring, the right hand is now effective, and his left hook might even be outscoring him too." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "Marquez with the better work again this round, working behind the jab and scoring to the body effectively." 10-9 Marquez

Round 6

Siren1927 - "Marquez starts well and controls the whole round until the last fifty seconds, where he's stunned by Vazquez for a second after a wonderful combination. However, it's not enough to take the round on my card." 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "Out they come again, Vazquez throws a 1-2 and they keep trading, there are no breaks in action, nothing stops either of them from fighting forward. Vazquez is working the combinations much more than he has in the previous rounds. Marquez's jab has been amazing tonight, keeping Vazquez from fighting in the pocket for a long period of time. Stinging right hand from Vazquez, who hurts Marquez again! The tension is growing, and this is a close round. A Marquez round, but Vazquez is rocking Marquez and slowly getting himself back in the fight. My card is very wide towards Marquez, but every point has been earned." 10-9 Marquez

Sooterkin - "Vazquez stuns Marquez a couple of times in the round, and his body of work is greater than Marquez's jab work." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 7

Siren1927 - "Anybody got a coin? Vazquez dominates early but then Rafael comes back with a cracking left hook-straight right combo but then he's hurt by Vazquez and I'm mentally drained watching the fight. God knows how those two feel." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez and Marquez come out once again firing on all cylinders. Hard short right from Vazquez, who hurts Marquez again. Marquez is known for fading in these rounds. Vazquez is looking a lot better this round. Crunching right from Marquez to the side of the head then a shot to the chest. Vazquez throws two jabs and corners Marquez, who escapes once more. This is a super round for Vazquez, but Marquez comes back with a combo! Marquez hurts him again, left hook to the jaw! Marquez with a nasty uppercut! Marquez is measuring him! Hard shots land in bulk! Brilliant round!" 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "A thrilling round with back and forth action throughout, where Marquez seems to make a comeback to level up the round, but I don't think he's done enough." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 8

Siren1927 - "Pass me that coin again Dafs. I've given this to Izzy by the margin of a cigarette paper. Both of them trade bombs, both continue to steal the momentum from the other. If only all fights were like this." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Marquez with combos, and now they trade absolute bombs. Another hard-fought round, and this one has been really even. Vazquez scores with 1-2's, taking the lead. Big right from Vazquez. Marquez answers back! Marquez with hard shots on the inside, taking control once again. Can this get any better? Massive right from Vazquez! Right uppercut from Vazquez! These two men are warriors. Marquez is getting tagged!" Vazquez 10-9

Sooterkin - "Vazquez is beginning to catch Marquez a lot now with big rights and uppercuts. Quite a big Vazquez round." 10-9 Vazquez

After 8 Rounds: Siren1927: 76-75 Marquez; Dafs117: 77-74 Marquez; Sooterkin 76-75 Marquez;

Round 9

Siren1927 - "Marquez edges it for me by clearly hurting Vasquez at the end of the round. Otherwise its a coin toss again." 10-9 Marquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez's eye looks quite bad. Marquez with a left hook, but Vazquez just won't stop pressurizing. Vazquez is controlling this round again, and he's taking any momentum from Marquez. The combos from Marquez aren't as quick as they were earlier. Vazquez drilled with a straight right, luckily for him the bell comes to save him." 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "Vazquez with the greater work, and Marquez looks a little tired as we approach the final stages of the fight." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 10

Siren1927 - "A close round in which Rafa shades for his beautiful combination punching. Pat Russel did the correct thing by taking a point off Marquez for the low blow. Is it just me or would any other referee bar Capuchino and Mercante have spoiled this fight? Marquez round." 10-9 Marquez [-1 deduction for Marquez]

Dafs117 - "Vazquez putting the pressure on at the beginning of the tenth round. Marquez's jab is no longer halting Vazquez, as it's just not being thrown or landed much. Vazquez corners him again, but yet again Marquez gets out of there fast. Good shots from Rafael Marquez, a three-punch combo, all of it landing. Vazquez lands a right, and what, is that really what I think it is... A clinch! Marquez with a low blow, and that's the point deduction for Marquez. That could be a big deal come scorecards." 10-9 Marquez [-1 deduction for Marquez]

Sooterkin - "That point deduction could make a big difference to the final scorecards. Marquez wins the round, he looks to be back to his best." 10-9 Marquez [-1 deduction for Marquez]

Round 11

Siren1927 - "Vazquez takes the round for me, he just can't miss with that right hand at the moment and he is clearly dictating the pace in round eleven. Marquez comes back late but its just not enough to overshadow the body of work done earlier by Vasquez." 10-9 Vazquez

Dafs117 - "Vazquez and Marquez will not stop punching. It's special. It's historical. Stiff jab from Marquez, and then with a right. This is fantastic stuff. Vazquez races after Marquez and lands that trademark left hook that's been well defended from Marquez up until now." 10-9 Vazquez

Sooterkin - "It's an even round up until the final minute, where Vazquez presses Marquez and lands the cleaner shots." 10-9 Vazquez

Round 12

Siren1927 - "What a call by Pat Russell. Any other referee would have ended the fight at that knockdown. Instead, Pat used his common sense and allowed the last few seconds to let the fight finish. Izzy dominates this round add in the knockdown and Vasquez wins the fight on my card despite being behind the entire fight." 10-9 Vazquez [-1 knockdown for Marquez]

Dafs117 - "The crowd are going wild, on their feet cheering the warriors on. They touch gloves, and here we go! Vazquez smacks Marquez with a straight right hand and looks physically a lot stronger right now. Vazquez is absolutely owning it. Another right rocks Vazquez and the crowd can't believe it, and neither can I! Vazquez is destroying Marquez, who has no other option but to hold on. He can't do anything else. Vazquez with a 1-2, then a right on the ropes. Marquez hangs on! VAZQUEZ IS GOING FOR IT AND DRILLS HIM AGAIN! MARQUEZ GOES DOWN! THE BELL SOUNDS, WHAT A FIGHT! WHAT A FIGHT!" 10-9 Vazquez [-1 knockdown for Marquez]

Sooterkin - "Brilliant final round from Vazquez, who's hungry for the knockout and hunts down a demoralised Marquez who is hanging onto the ropes before being drilled by Vazquez and called a knockdown. Great round from Vazquez." 10-9 Vazquez [-1 knockdown for Marquez]

Official Scores: Max DeLuca 114-111 Vazquez; Tom Kaczmarek 114-111 Marquez; James Jen-Kin 113-112 Vazquez;

Israel Vazquez successfully defends his WBC title via split decision

BTBC Scorecards: Siren1927: 113-112 Vazquez; Dafs117 113-112 Vazquez; Sooterkin 114-111 Vazquez;

Israel Vazquez successfully defends his WBC title via unanimous decision

BTBC Combined Scorecard

Round 1 - 10-9 Marquez (0-3);
Round 2 - 10-9 Marquez (1-2);
Round 3 - 10-9 Vazquez (2-1);
Round 4 - 10-9 Marquez (0-3) [-1 knockdown for Vazquez];
Round 5 - 10-9 Marquez (1-2);
Round 6 - 10-9 Marquez (1-2);
Round 7 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0);
Round 8 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0);
Round 9 - 10-9 Vazquez (2-1);
Round 10 - 10-9 Marquez (0-3) [-1 deduction for Marquez];
Round 12 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0);
Round 12 - 10-9 Vazquez (3-0) [-1 knockdown for Marquez];

Total: Vazquez 113-112;

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¡Viva Mexico! Mexico's Finest!

by Paul Magno

With Mexican Independence Day approaching, it's only fair to give our friends from South of the border the same attention that we've given to our American friends and our members/readers from the UK and Puerto Rico.

Here are Mexico's Top 10 Active fighters:

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Read more »

Israel Vazquez: "I'm Back!"

After a 14-month lay-off and three surgeries to repair a detached retina (one of three detached retinas in his last year in the sport), Israel Vazquez has been given medical clearance to start training and was granted a new boxing license from the California State Athletic Commission.

In his first post-comeback move, Vazquez announced that he would now be competing as a Featherweight, a division above his previous weight class. He also voluntarily relinquished his 122 lb. Ring Magazine Championship.

Vazquez's plans include a tune-up bout, possibly in Mexico, and either a run at Takahiro Aoh's WBC Featherweight title (promised to him by WBC President, Jose Sulaiman, when Sulaiman reluctantly stripped Vazquez of the WBC Jr. Featherweight crown) or a Part 4 in the brutal series versus Rafael Marquez.

Another possibility is a bout with Puerto Rican power puncher, Juan Manuel Lopez. However, Vazquez says that a Lopez vs. Vazquez bout would have to take place at 126, not at Lopez's current weight of 122 lbs.

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Results From Arena Monterrey: Marquez Shines, Gonzalez Overwhelmed

From The Arena Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico:

There were mixed results for the sold-out partisan crowd packed into the Arena Monterrey Saturday night.

Rafael Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs) took the first step on his comeback trail as he disposed of a tentative Jose Francisco Mendoza (21-3-2, 17 KOs) via third round TKO.

Marquez started off slowly in the first and second, showing obvious signs of ring rust. Then, towards the end of the third, Marquez connected with a sharp straight right hand that sent Mendoza to the canvas. It was obvious that Mendoza was in no shape to continue and, after some confusion between the ref and both corners, the fight was waved off at the 2:26 of round three.

In the main event, Japanese southpaw champ, Toshiaki Nishioka, brought his WBC Super Bantamweight title to Mexico and defended it impressively against Jhonny Gonzalez.

The challenger, Gonzalez, started off extremely strong by dropping Nishioka late in the first round with a textbook straight right hand. The champ, although dropped, didn't look to be in any grave danger of being stopped.

The second round was a good recorvery round for Nishioka as he managed to box on the outside and nullify Gonzalez's forward momentum.

The end of the fight came in the third when Nishioka connected with a teeth-rattling straight left hand that sent Gonzalez down hard in the corner. Jhonny managed to get up at the 8 count, but he was obviously out on his feet, prompting referee Kenny Bayless to wave off the contest.

Nishioka moves to 34-4-3 (21 KOs); Gonzalez falls to 40-7 (34 KOs).

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Rafael Marquez, Jhonny Gonzalez on the Comeback Trail!

This weekend, former Bantamweight champ, Jhonny Gonzalez, gets his first shot at a title since his surprise loss to Gerry Panalosa back in 2007. He'll be taking on reigning WBC Super Bantamweight title holder, Toshiaki Nishioka, in Monterrey, Mexico.

On the same card, Rafael Marquez makes his long-awaited return against Jose Francisco Mendoza in a WBC Super Bantamweight title eliminator.

If Gonzalez and Marquez both win, you can expect a great showdown between the two later in the year.

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Madcow's Standing 8 Count (5/3/09)

by Madcow

Welcome back to another edition of my weekly bovine dose of reality. And a special welcome to the new readers generated by The BTBC's newest addition- The BTBC...Boxing With a Bite! The new blog will be for hard news and analysis while the wordpress blog will be for our usual essays and such. I will have a more active role in the new blog, so if I've picked on your favorite fighter and made you as an enemy, you probably might want to stay away from it. Otherwise, rely on The BTBC to be a trusted news source for all things boxing-related. For awhile, at least, this column will be published on both blogs.

So, All Hail Boxing's Hooker-Lovin', Beer-Guzzlin', Spare Change-Stealin' Anti-Dan Rafael...Me!

Honorable PPV buyers: How long after Ricky Hatton stumbled back to the dressing room did the reality fall on you? Yep, 50-60 bucks for less than 6 minutes of one-sided action. Hell, even the 3 National Anthems lasted longer! With a weak undercard and a short-as-hell main event, your money would've been better spent on a pizza, a six pack and an evening of illegal stream-hopping on the internet. That's how I spent my evening.

Seriously, though, how is it possible for Manny Pacquiao to look even more impressive each time out? The guy almosy literally ripped Hatton's head from his body!


But as new readers will soon find out, I'm The BTBC's official turd in the punch bowl. Here's the reality about Manny Pacquiao:

* No matter what his fans say, Manny lost to Juan Manuel Marquez in their second fight.

* Beating David Diaz is no huge accomplishment.

* The Oscar De la Hoya that showed up against Pacquiao was a weight-drained shell of his former self.

* Ricky Hatton has been among the most overrated stiffs of this generation- A good 2nd-tier fighter and nothing more.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. tried to upstage the Manny/Ricky Show by announcing his official comeback against Juan Manuel Marquez on July 18th. I see this fight kinda like how I see having a new smoke detector: I'm glad to have it, but not too jazzed about seeing it implemented. Just as I said that Pacquiao/Hatton would be a mismatch, so is Mayweather vs. Marquez. But as my "ladies" must do when they see this 300 lb. body lunging at them- Marquez should just take his screwing and keep counting all the loot in his head.

Chad Dawson and Antonio Tarver will be fighting this coming Saturday in the most pointless sequel since Blues Brothers 2000. Unfortunately, this may be the last fight for Dawson against anyone even remotely marketable at Light Heavyweight. Dawson may be forced to drop in weight and wade through the fall-out at 168 for some better matches. On the plus side, we get another chance to visually fondle Tarver's HOT wife.

Apparently, the Wladimir Klitschko/David Haye encounter is a big-ticket item in Europe, selling out a soccer stadium in Germany and sending fans scrambling to scalpers for tickets to the Heavyweight Title bout. Well, guys, save your money and just re-watch the second round of Pacquiao/Hatton. The part of Ricky Hatton will be played by Mr. Hayemaker Haye.

In "real" fight news: I can't wait for the next six weeks or so: Andre Ward vs. Edison Miranda, Alfred Angulo vs. Kermit Cintron, Miguel Cotto vs. Joshua Clottey...Plus, the comeback of Rafael Marquez!

Bob Arum is dispelling any notion of a Pacquiao/Mayweather fight by promising Pacquiao/Cotto in December. Arum has wanted nothing to do with Mayweather for the longest time, despite stories to the contrary. But pay no attention to the man with the grey chest hair and boxing glove-shaped liver spots, Arum's playing kissy face with Cotto to make up for backing the man who beat his face in with bricks back in July '08 (aka Margarito).

Ok, that's all for this week. Those spicy buffalo wings I ate this afternoon are dying to take a swim in my porcelain pool. So, with Ring Magazine in hand, I'll close this out with my favorite sound bite from Saturday's Mayweather/Marquez press conference, See ya ladies next week:

“I beat fighters and turn them into bitches and they go out and put on fish-nets.” - Floyd Mayweather Jr.

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