From Ringside
Saturday, March 1, 2008, at The Home Depot Center in Carson, CA, WBC Super Bantamweight Champion, Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez completed their trilogy with Vazquez winning a split decision in a typically brutal fight. The judges at ringside scored the fight 114-111 and 113-112 for Vazquez and with one judge giving Marquez the honors with 114-111. Suite101 scored the fight 114-111 for Vazquez (43-4, 32 KOs).
Marquez (37-5, 33 KOs) scored a knockdown in round four, which might have made the difference had Vazquez not returned the favor in the 12th. Further contributing to Marquez's troubles was the point he lost for a low blow in round 10.
Although Marquez had promised before the fight that he could and would box smart without slowing the pace of the bout, he started the fight by staying on the outside, jabbing and trying to avoid Vazquez's thunderous left hook--a strategy that looked like it might work--for a couple minutes--until Vazquez wobbled him with his dangerous left.
A pattern of Marquez winning rounds but eating left hooks continued until the fourth when Marquez dropped Vazquez with a hard right. Vazquez rose up and charged, Marquez fired back, and the rest of the fight resembled the thirteen rounds they fought up until tonight.
The middle rounds showed the naturally smaller Marquez looking stronger than Vazquez, whose right eye was bleeding and swollen by then.
Going into the late rounds, Marquez's left eye was beginning to swell shut, giving Vazquez opportunity to deliver right hands; he seemed happy to oblige. Marquez had effectively taken away Vazquez's left hook, but Vazquez's jab and superior strength began to shift the fight to his favor.
The loss of a point to a low blow in round ten had Marquez fighting to earn back the round, which he did on all three judges cards.
Vazquez ran out to the center of the ring to begin round twelve and took the fight to the now retreating Marquez. Unable to land his hook, Vazquez charged in with jabs and right hands, backing Marquez to the ropes he had so deftly avoided for most of the fight. On shaky legs, Marquez repeatedly grabbed Vazquez in an attempt to stay on his feet. Undaunted, Vazquez pounded Marquez into a corner and hammered him till the bottom rope was the only thing keeping Marquez from the canvas. The knockdown earned Vazquez an extra point, though the round was so one-sided he might have earned a two point round anyway.
The victory gives Vazquez two out of three in an already legendary trilogy and both fighters the opportunity for a well-deserved break.
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