Once More to the Well: Marquez & Vazquez IV
This weekend’s big fight is tinged with a sense of melancholy, as once again, ageing warriors Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez are forced to batter each other senseless in order to receive the remuneration their careers so palpably deserve. Boxing can be the most infuriating of sports sometimes.
In terms of earning potential, size is still paramount in boxing, despite the lack of logic attached to such a decision. The heavyweight division has produced perhaps only a handful of decent fights over the past decade, yet repeatedly, the men who toil there wind up earning disproportionately well with respect to their talent level.
It’s not even as if the big lugs generate excitement by way of substitute either. In fact, Ring magazine’s inaugural fight of the year award, has not seen the involvement of a man scaling more than ten stones (light welterweight) since 1996.
Marquez and Vazquez have given us war, one fought in three chapters and at the highest of skill levels throughout their previous encounters. Their first bout, won by Marquez, was the only one of the three not to take FOY honours. In the history of great trilogies, including the likes of Ali-Frazier, Gatti-Ward, Barrera-Morales and Graziano-Zale, theirs perhaps trumps all others. How disappointing to note then, that for their epic third battle, the duo split just over a million dollars in purse money between them.
Since that night, Vazquez has undergone surgery three times to repair a detached retina suffered in the rubber match with Rafael. He also looked lousy on his return against lowly rated Colombian fighter Angel Priolo, who was coming off a six fight losing streak.
Marquez, meanwhile, fared slightly better against his own Colombian soft touch, one who had not won himself for three years, when he stopped Jose Mendoza in three.
Both tumbled out of the pound for pound ratings yet mercifully, avoided being thrown to the likes of Juanma Lopez and Celestino Caballero.
What a strange match in prospect then. Here we have two men, whose coming together almost guarantees spellbinding action, yet there are many, myself included, who would rather it wasn’t happening at all.
Speaking to Eric Raskin about a prospective fourth bout between the pair in 2008, Micky Ward, himself no stranger to the brutality of the hurt business, offered this:
“Enough is enough, I know it’s great for the public and it’s great to see, but what it comes down to really is someone’s health, and I don’t think it’s a good idea for either one of them. They’ll always fight each other the same way. They could fight again when they’re 50 and still fight each other the same way. I think they gave enough of themselves for two lifetimes. And you only get one.”
I agree. Marquez and Vazquez have given the sport enough. What a shame then, that they are forced to go on, enduring the type of beating very few men could, just so they can gain the financial reward that lesser fighters further up the weights, take for granted.
The L.A. undercard features a potential sizzler, one which has the hardcore fringe salivating, between unbeaten bantamweights Yonnhy Perez and Abner Mares.
Both men hold spotless 20-0 records, despite the fact Perez is the older man by seven years at 31. Colombian Perez has the greater pedigree and holds wins over Silence Mabuza and Joseph Agbeko, whereas Mexico’s Mares has the air of an emerging star about him in the build up. Showtime televise the Staples Centre double header in the US.
6 comments on “Once More to the Well: Marquez & Vazquez IV”
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I’m in the same boat on this fight. Vazquez looked like a shell of his old self in his most recent outing, and I don’t like seeing fighters clearly at the end of the line take additional pounding. I do agree that it’s better they fight each other, rather than one of the elite featherweights, but isn’t that just what the winner will do?
At least they are both being paid relatively well for this one.
It’s the least they deserve, kind of a thank you from the sport for what they gave us previously. It’s a shame for fighters such as Marquez and Vazquez who give everything in the ring, yet are relatively unknown outside of it. If only FOY winners could receive some sort of financial reward. The Vasquez-Marquez trilogy will be replayed ad infinitum; who’ll be watching Mayweather-Mosley in ten years time?
I really worry about Israel’s eyes here, they look in terrible shape. Let’s hope both corners err on the side of caution. I don’t think anyone would complain if the bout is stopped too soon rather than too late.
Hey Haz, I just got a chance to read your report on Katsidis-Mitchell. Top stuff, really enjoyed reading it. Shame about the crowd turning ugly. Always assumed the East End crew were a knowledgeable lot, but I suupose it only takes a few idiots for things to turn sour.
There’s no shame in losing to someone like Katsidis, but I was disappointed at the ease in which the Aussie won. Really thought Mitchell had turned a corner after the near disasters against Johansson and Estrada. I’m not convinced that Katsidis is back to his best either. To me he looked beatable in his previous fight against Escobedo. He won it well despite the ridiculous SD, but I thought the well had started to run dry.
Maybe he is back to his best, but I have a feeling last Saturday was more of a case of Mitchell being found out at world level.
Hey Dave, thanks mate. I think there were a lot of football fans there, due to the setting. There were some good old boys sitting near us who knew their stuff and were enjoying the fights but a lot more dotted about who hadn’t a clue!! Warren said he was hoping to turn Mitchell into the Ricky Hatton of the South…..well, he’s got the fanbase right anyway!!
Watching the replay, it really was man against boy, Mitchell didn’t look like a lightweight next to Katsidis. I can’t see him coming close to a title up there if I’m honest, unless it’s a WBO version against a Euro level guy.
I hope Katsidis gets a run at Ring title, against the Marquez-Diaz winner. I’d also like to see him here, although I’d rather be cheering for him than against him-he’s a top bloke.
Hope we get to see John Murray get a big fight soon; although Hennessy is struggling-even Froch has the hump with him now.
I was pretty ticked the stopped the fight because i ended up missing the whole thing! Damn internet connection. But after seeing how it went down and the photo you have posted on your blog, the ref definitely made a wise decision despite the flack he’s been getting from alot of fans. The re-match will be ugly if this one was anything to go by.
Hi friend, are you talking about the fight this past weekend? I didn’t realise Caiz had been taking flack. When you can see a fighter’s skull through a cut, it’s time to call the thing off.
I’m totally chuffed with the outcome. Cuts will heal, another 12 rounds of two way punishment may have caused irreparable damage.