Showcasing the old and new once and 4 all

Date: 22nd May 2010 at 9:29 pm
Written by Boxaholic

ShowTime presents us with its first good card since the Super 6 with “Once and For All” – Vazquez vs. Marquez IV. Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez are two of the best junior featherweights of our era, and they will clash for the fourth time on Saturday night. These two fighters embody warrior spirit and heart, consistently putting it all on the line every time they step into the ring. Their epic trilogy had an ending that did not cement either fighter as superior, so they both opted to duke it out for the fourth time.

Vazquez vs. Marquez I was a hugely anticipated fight between two great champions. Both men fought at a furious pace, Marquez was dropped in round three but came right back at Vazquez, breaking his nose and forcing Israel to retire on his stool. One fight was clearly not enough for these champions, so they entered the ring again five months later.

A blazing war between the two men, earning honors for Ring Magazine’s Fight Of The Year and Round of the Year (round 3) Vazquez, with cuts over both his eyes dropped Marquez with a brutal combo in round 6. Marquez rose to his feet but the ref stopped the fight after another barrage of punches from Vazquez. It caused a minor controversy, after all this guy had shown he could get off the canvas, recover and dominate.

Fight three was, as you would expect, another epic war.

Marquez floored Vazquez in round 4, the first time in the series whilst Marquez was given a standing 8 count in the 12th. A razor thin decision gave the fight to Vasquez amidst more controversy as Marquez was deducted a point for a low blow in the 10th round although replays showed it wasn’t low at all.

Finally the trilogy was complete….kinda.

Both Rafa and Izzy (their affectionate nicknames) wanted more. A clear winner. A dominant fighter. What the hell, they said, lets do it again.

But, they are older now. Vazquez and Marquez are 32 and 35 respectively. Both guys have been inactive, two fights between them since March of 2008. They have been through wars, brutal fights that have taken a serious toll on their bodies so how much do Vasquez and Marquez have left?

One thing is clear, if you are a boxing fan you need to watch this fight and pay homage to the guys who have given everything they have for our entertainment.

I think Vazquez has a little more left in the tank and it will start to show later in the fight. Rafa has been my favorite of the two fighters, but at 35 and after the wars I can’t logically see it happening unless he decides to box and we all know he won’t!

Prove me wrong, Rafa.