Rafael Marquez v Israel Vázquez IV
All wars come to an end eventually and it looks like Rafael Marquez and Israel Vázquez have fought the final battle of their epic series.
On Saturday night in LA, the two lion-hearted Mexicans hauled themselves through the ropes and into the ring together for the fourth and maybe final time. Every occasion these guys fight it is a brutal, ferocious affair fought at 100mph and has formed a fight series that could rival Sugar Ray Robinson and Jake LaMotta’s classic match-ups.
Having previously met at super-bantamweight the pair fought this time at 126lbs and it was Marquez who emerged victorious. A third round stoppage made it the shortest and least spectacular of the series, but it was still an electric, fast and bloody affair that carried many of the hallmarks of the other three fights.
To recap, the two Mexicans have been at war since March 2008. The first clash was for the WBC super-bantamweight title, the first of the most thrilling rivalry in recent boxing history.
The tempo was set straight away in the initial fight by Marquez who flew out the traps hurling brutal combinations at Vázquez, which were promptly returned in kind.
Marquez was down in the third round but recovered enough to fight his way back in shaking off his knockdown and trying to turn the tables. Vázquez isn’t the sort of boxer to roll over easily and bravely fought back trying to protect his lead.
However as Vázquez went to his corner it became clear that he was suffering from breathing problems, which turned out to be a badly broken-nose sustained in the first round. In the sixth “Magnifico” told his trainer Freddie Roach he could no longer breathe and in went the towel. It’s a testament the guy’s heart that he even lasted so long in such a savage encounter; he fought like a Trojan until his mushed hooter took in no more air. So it was first blood to Marquez with a tone of speed, power, brutality and bravery set for the series.
Fast forward five months and it was the rematch that was to win “The 2007 The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year”.
The intensity of the first match had been ratcheted up twofold, if not threefold for the second encounter. It was a ferocious, crimson encrusted display by two relentless fighters with a devil-may-care approach to their own personal safety.
Once again Marquez came steaming out, throwing trademark one-twos, appearing to aim for Vázquez’s nose, his scourge in the last fight. Magnifico on the other hand showed tremendous heart to fight his way back in and he began to snap the champ’s head back with a stiff left jab that became his key to this fight and the next. Another constant of these clashes was Vázquez’s eye that poured more claret than a Lindsey Lohan dinner party by the third stanza.
The third round was a monster, both fighters trading off and combinations rained in as it went back and forward in a thrilling contest. Vázquez landed a cracking left hook and Marquez counters, then Vázquez, before once again Marquez counters and so on.
It continued like that until Marquez went down in the sixth. He got back up but Vázquez sensed blood and pursued him like a hyperactive Tasmanian devil. Magnifico threw everything he had at the champion, lefts and rights, hooks and straights gushed in as Marquez struggled to bring a big gasp of air down into his lungs. There was no escape and the ref had seen enough, bringing the end to one h**l of a fight. Relentless stuff and one-a-piece overall.
It was three times the charm for fight fans, as for the second year running this bout was awarded “The Ring Magazine Fight of the Year”.
With the faint hearted out of the room it was business as usual as things got underway at lightning pace.
Marquez was behind his jab better this time and was the aggressor in the opening round for the third time. Once again defence seem to go out the window as the two traded-off in the centre of the ring. Magnifico wasn’t looking as energetic as he had done in the previous fights and for the first time in the series found himself on the canvas in the fourth round after Marquez followed up a big left hook with a stern right hand. Yet keeping in terms with the series he just bounced back up and started laying in to Marquez.
Once again Vázquez was bleeding profusely from the eye and Marquez looked like he was going to get his title back throwing short shots to the head and body.
One thing that has never been in doubt about Vázquez is that he has the heart of a warrior, whatever Marquez threw at him came straight back at the puncher as Magnifico clung on to his strap with his finger nails.
A low blow in the tenth saw Marquez deducted a crucial point and in Hollywood style Vázquez knocked Marquez down with ten seconds remaining. Had he not done that he would have lost, but a split-decision went the way of the bloodied champ much to Marquez’s horror.
So, going into Saturday’s fight it was two-one to Vázquez, although there is no doubt that a scarred and battle-weary Magnifico has suffered the most from these titanic clashes. Some fighter’s have glass jaws, Vázquez now has glass eyes. He just needs to look in a boxing ring and a cut opens up above them.
Sadly this became the defining factor of the fourth fight. Once again the pace was electric and once again Marquez flew at his opponent from the bell. Unfortunately Vázquez couldn’t get his left hook going as Marquez rained in combinations, but an accidental clash of heads opens up a horrible gash above Vázquez’s left eye and he was in immediate trouble.
Marquez had obviously targeted this week point and Vázquez, perhaps sensing he might not last long, brought the fight to his opponent and desperately tried to get in under his jab. However Marquez was alert to this and fired off combinations to keep his rival at bay. For the first time in the series Vázquez looked like he was out of ideas and out of steam.
The third round proved to be final. The cut above Vázquez left eye was joined by one above his right and with blood pouring into his eyes Vázquez couldn’t see a thing as Marquez unleashes a wave of attack that would be a living nightmare blind. A big right forced Magnifico to take a knee and the second he’s up Marquez is all over him like a wasp at a picnic. The refs seen enough, a bloody Vasquez can do no more and Marquez squares the series.
This fight was by no means on par with the other three but we still saw Marquez’s boxing ability, Vázquez’s courage, scant regard for defence and a pair of rivals who wanted to win at all costs.
It doesn’t really seem like Vázquez has another one in him and perhaps it’s fitting that it ended in a draw overall. In these four Mexican showdowns these two pugilists gave it their all in the name of boxing and can only be saluted for their efforts.
Never rule a fifth out though.
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