04.08.07 – Photo: TOM CASINO/SHOWTIMEBy – Ted Sares: Talk about a cock fight; talk about give and take, talk about a blood fest. This one had it all. Two Mexican warriors, one possessing a lethal straight right; the other owning a chilling left hook. Both skilled.
Each action-filled round began with Israel Vazquez, 42-4 starting strong, and then slowing down just a tad as both fighters exchanged on a more even basis in the middle of each stanza. Rafael Marquez, 37-4, seemed to finish the rounds stronger. In between, a bloody and savage battle ensued with both blasting away at an incredible work rate and landing chilling shots to each other‘s head and body. Both had suffered nasty cuts around their eyes and blood flowed freely. After only four rounds, I asked myself, “how much more can they take?”
Finally, when Vasquez rocked Marquez in the fifth with his patented and well-leveraged hook, it became clear (at least to me) that he would not be denied this time around, even though Marquez did finish that round well. Then, in the sixth, Vazquez decked the WBC super bantamweight with another jackhammer hook and the end was now in sight.
Vazquez then launched a nonstop attack until Marquez slid along the ropes badly hurt prompting the referee to end matters at the 1:16 mark. Underdog Israel Vazquez had defied the odds to become the new champion.
While commentator Al Bernstein seemed to have an issue with the stoppage, he apparently missed the fact Marquez was taking an inordinate number of heavy shots from a heavy handed slugger. Enough blood had already been shed in the fight and there was little need for it to continue. It was Marquez’s first loss in seven years and sets up an almost certain trilogy
The specter of these two super bantams going after each other with an uncommon fury and with blood flowing down their faces was for me the essence of machismo.
These two were warriors on this special evening at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas and all I can say is thank you.