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Marquez and Vazquez Ready To Fight |
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CARSON, California - Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez are
set to write the third chapter of one of the more intriguing rivalries
in boxing.
On Saturday, the Mexicans will meet for the third time in 11 months with Vazquez’s WBC super bantamweight title on the line.
In the first of two action-packed fights, Marquez (37-4, 33 KOs)
scored a seventh-round TKO in March when Vazquez was unable to continue
due to a broken nose suffered earlier in the bout.
“In the first fight, I did many great things. I fought my fight,”
Marquez said. “In the second fight, I just made a lot of mistakes, and
Vazquez took advantage of those. “He’s a great fighter. He’s a tough
fighter. That’s what I can tell you. He took advantage of the second
fight and he won it. Now, I’m just waiting for this third one, so I can
bring my title back to Mexico.”
Vazquez (42-4, 31 KOs)
bounced back in the August rematch, scoring a knockout in the sixth
round to regain the title. The intense bout garnered wide recognition
as 2007’s fight of the year.
“If everyone thought the first two fights were amazing, they’re in
for an unforgettable performance on March 1,” Vazquez said. “When
Marquez and I get together, boxing magic happens. Marquez and I have
proven that we’re warriors and we don’t back down or take a step back.”
Vazquez first earned the WBC belt in 2005 when he knocked out
Mexican Oscar Larios in the third round. Prior to his first fight with
Marquez, he defeated WBO Bantamweight champion Jhonny Gonzalez on
September 16, 2006 in a bout where he was floored twice before rallying
to win by TKO in the 10th round.
“This is obviously a much bigger fight than any other fight that I
have with the same opponents because Rafael Marquez is a highly rated
opponent,” Vazquez said. “He’s a great challenger and he’s a great
fighter. We’ll be ready for this fight on March 1st and putting it all
on the line.”
In February 15, 2003, Marquez defeated Tim Austin to claim the IBF
Bantamweight title. He then went on to successfully defend his title
seven times, notably with two victories over Mauricio Pastrana, a
decision win over Ricardo Vargas and two knockout victories over former
IBO Bantamweight champion Silence Mabuza, whom he defeated for the
second time on August 5, 2006. The undercard is highlighted by the lightweight battle between Jorge
Paez, Jr. (18-1, 10 KOs) of Mexicali, Mexico and American Felipe
Campana (4-3-3, 3 KOs). Paez is the son of former world champion Jorge
Paez Sr
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