Since I haven't seen anyone talk about this, let me announce it.
Their first fight was a sleeper, perhaps for the fact that the fight aired on Showtime. But believe me, so far it's the fight of the year.
Check out the highlights in youtube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz-X-KsTaoQ
I don't see the rematch being much different since both Vazquez and Marquez are bangers. What ever you do, make sure you don't miss it!
The first time around, it was a fight of the year candidate. Will the rematch be more of the same?
"What is sure is that people are going to see a great fight, two warriors inside the ring," said Rafael Marquez, the world junior featherweight champion, who meets Israel Vazquez in a sequel at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, on Saturday night 8-4-07 (Showtime, 9 ET/PT).
Vazquez is also ready to put on another action-packed fight.
"The public pays money to see [a fight] whether they sit there or watch on TV, and it's extremely important that I give it my all each and every round. … I want to make sure that I come through for the public," he said.
They sure came through for the public on March 3 in Carson, Calif., site of their memorable brawl.
For seven rock 'em, sock 'em rounds, Marquez and Vazquez put on a tremendous display of heart and skill in their thrilling slugfest. Finally Marquez, the former bantamweight champion, claimed the junior featherweight title by forcing Vazquez to retire on his stool after the seventh round with a terribly broken nose that left him barely able to breathe.
Marquez, who had moved up from 118 pounds to 122 to challenge Vazquez, had broken Vazquez's nose in the first round. Vazquez, however, rallied to unleash a powerful left hook that dropped Marquez and nearly knocked him out in the third round. Although wobbly, Marquez (37-3, 33 KOs) got himself together and began to take over the fight against a weakening Vazquez (41-4, 30 KOs), who had been swallowing blood since the first round and could not go on after the seventh.
Now, just five months later, Vazquez's injury has been pronounced healed and they intend to pick up the action where they left off when they meet for the rematch.
It figures to be another exciting night at the fights.
"Everybody who has seen that fight or heard about that fight knows it was beyond a terrific fight," said Gary Shaw, Marquez's promoter. "On [Saturday] on Showtime, it's chapter two. Showtime wants to call it Round 8. The fight was for the people and now these two great fighters [are going it at again]."
The card also features Panama's Celestino Caballero (26-2, 18 KOs), who makes the second defense of his version of the 122-pound title against Mexico's Jorge Lacierva (32-6-6, 22 KOs). The winner is the obvious next opponent for the winner of the main event.
Vazquez, 29, said he has put the nose injury behind him and is thinking only about regaining his title from his Mexican countryman.
"I had great difficulty that night fighting with a broken nose. It was tough," Vazquez said. "I was unable to breathe. It was a tough night and a difficult loss. I feel good now. My nose feels good. I'm ready to come back and take back the title."
His nose was in rough shape early in the first fight. Vazquez's left nostril was completely closed after his nose was broken. His right nostril was allowing him to breathe at only 10-percent efficiency. Breathing out of his mouth was difficult, too, because of the blood he was swallowing.
The injury, Vazquez said, allowed him to fight at only half his ability and caused him to lose his focus. He said it hurt immediately after he got caught with the punch that broke the nose in the first round, and that the pain dramatically intensified in the second round, and that it stayed that way until the end of the fight.
"I was not able to concentrate once I started feeling the discomfort," he said. "Then the discomfort turned to pain. The pain was really very intense. So having the pain in the nose, I wasn't focused on the fight as I should have been. I wasn't able to throw the punches the way I wanted to.
"I feel everything was totally thrown off. I was thrown off my whole plan. But this time I really believe in my heart that this is going to be very different. I'm ready and in good condition. The doctors have given me a good diagnosis."
Vazquez insists his nose now feels fine and the only time he thinks about the injury is when questioned about its condition.
"I'm not concerned at all. There's no need to be concerned," Vazquez said. "The results and diagnosis of the doctor have been very encouraging. Thank God it wasn't a dangerous condition. I've been able to continue with sparring. Things are going very well. In fact, if it weren't that people would stop and ask me how my nose is feeling, I would have forgotten that I had a problem."
There are those who don't believe Vazquez's injury could have healed so quickly. One of them is Freddie Roach, who isn't training Vazquez for the fight because he doesn't feel Vazquez should have taken the fight so soon after the first bout with Marquez and because of the punishment he's absorbed in his past two fights.
Rudy Perez, known mainly for his work as the trainer of Marco Antonio Barrera, has taken over Vazquez's corner.
"I love Israel Vazquez," Roach was quoted as saying in the Arizona Republic. "I hope for the best for him. But I worry about him. He's starting to slur his words. I didn't want to be part of this fight."
Marquez, the younger brother of junior lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, respects Vazquez for fighting for as long as he did with such a brutal injury. He said he noticed Vazquez's labored breathing after the third-round knockdown.
"When I got up, I noticed he was having problems breathing," Marquez, 32, said. "But I didn't let it affect me. He could have stopped the fight earlier, but he decided to go all the way to the seventh. He couldn't go any more, but he showed that he was hurt in the first round and he continued to the seventh."
Five months later, it's time for Round 8.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
"What is sure is that people are going to see a great fight, two warriors inside the ring," said Rafael Marquez, the world junior featherweight champion, who meets Israel Vazquez in a sequel at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, on Saturday night 8-4-07 (Showtime, 9 ET/PT).
Vazquez is also ready to put on another action-packed fight.
"The public pays money to see [a fight] whether they sit there or watch on TV, and it's extremely important that I give it my all each and every round. … I want to make sure that I come through for the public," he said.
They sure came through for the public on March 3 in Carson, Calif., site of their memorable brawl.
For seven rock 'em, sock 'em rounds, Marquez and Vazquez put on a tremendous display of heart and skill in their thrilling slugfest. Finally Marquez, the former bantamweight champion, claimed the junior featherweight title by forcing Vazquez to retire on his stool after the seventh round with a terribly broken nose that left him barely able to breathe.
Marquez, who had moved up from 118 pounds to 122 to challenge Vazquez, had broken Vazquez's nose in the first round. Vazquez, however, rallied to unleash a powerful left hook that dropped Marquez and nearly knocked him out in the third round. Although wobbly, Marquez (37-3, 33 KOs) got himself together and began to take over the fight against a weakening Vazquez (41-4, 30 KOs), who had been swallowing blood since the first round and could not go on after the seventh.
Now, just five months later, Vazquez's injury has been pronounced healed and they intend to pick up the action where they left off when they meet for the rematch.
It figures to be another exciting night at the fights.
"Everybody who has seen that fight or heard about that fight knows it was beyond a terrific fight," said Gary Shaw, Marquez's promoter. "On [Saturday] on Showtime, it's chapter two. Showtime wants to call it Round 8. The fight was for the people and now these two great fighters [are going it at again]."
The card also features Panama's Celestino Caballero (26-2, 18 KOs), who makes the second defense of his version of the 122-pound title against Mexico's Jorge Lacierva (32-6-6, 22 KOs). The winner is the obvious next opponent for the winner of the main event.
Vazquez, 29, said he has put the nose injury behind him and is thinking only about regaining his title from his Mexican countryman.
"I had great difficulty that night fighting with a broken nose. It was tough," Vazquez said. "I was unable to breathe. It was a tough night and a difficult loss. I feel good now. My nose feels good. I'm ready to come back and take back the title."
His nose was in rough shape early in the first fight. Vazquez's left nostril was completely closed after his nose was broken. His right nostril was allowing him to breathe at only 10-percent efficiency. Breathing out of his mouth was difficult, too, because of the blood he was swallowing.
The injury, Vazquez said, allowed him to fight at only half his ability and caused him to lose his focus. He said it hurt immediately after he got caught with the punch that broke the nose in the first round, and that the pain dramatically intensified in the second round, and that it stayed that way until the end of the fight.
"I was not able to concentrate once I started feeling the discomfort," he said. "Then the discomfort turned to pain. The pain was really very intense. So having the pain in the nose, I wasn't focused on the fight as I should have been. I wasn't able to throw the punches the way I wanted to.
"I feel everything was totally thrown off. I was thrown off my whole plan. But this time I really believe in my heart that this is going to be very different. I'm ready and in good condition. The doctors have given me a good diagnosis."
Vazquez insists his nose now feels fine and the only time he thinks about the injury is when questioned about its condition.
"I'm not concerned at all. There's no need to be concerned," Vazquez said. "The results and diagnosis of the doctor have been very encouraging. Thank God it wasn't a dangerous condition. I've been able to continue with sparring. Things are going very well. In fact, if it weren't that people would stop and ask me how my nose is feeling, I would have forgotten that I had a problem."
There are those who don't believe Vazquez's injury could have healed so quickly. One of them is Freddie Roach, who isn't training Vazquez for the fight because he doesn't feel Vazquez should have taken the fight so soon after the first bout with Marquez and because of the punishment he's absorbed in his past two fights.
Rudy Perez, known mainly for his work as the trainer of Marco Antonio Barrera, has taken over Vazquez's corner.
"I love Israel Vazquez," Roach was quoted as saying in the Arizona Republic. "I hope for the best for him. But I worry about him. He's starting to slur his words. I didn't want to be part of this fight."
Marquez, the younger brother of junior lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez, respects Vazquez for fighting for as long as he did with such a brutal injury. He said he noticed Vazquez's labored breathing after the third-round knockdown.
"When I got up, I noticed he was having problems breathing," Marquez, 32, said. "But I didn't let it affect me. He could have stopped the fight earlier, but he decided to go all the way to the seventh. He couldn't go any more, but he showed that he was hurt in the first round and he continued to the seventh."
Five months later, it's time for Round 8.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
