Israel Vazquez

Rafael Marquez endured brutal punishment in his three prior fights against Israel Vazquez to get to Saturday night, but the resilient Marquez earned what he so badly wanted by making himself the last man standing. Mexico's Marquez dominated Vazquez en route to a third-round technical knockout at Staples Center, delivering pounding blows that first opened a nasty cut over Vazquez's left eye in the second round. He then knocked down Vazquez early in the third, finishing him at the 1:33 mark.

Rafael Marquez endured brutal punishment in his three prior fights against Israel Vazquez to get to Saturday night, but the resilient Marquez earned what he so badly wanted by making himself the last man standing. Mexico's Marquez dominated Vazquez en route to a third-round technical knockout at Staples Center, delivering pounding blows that first opened a nasty cut over Vazquez's left eye in the second round. He then knocked down Vazquez early in the third, finishing him at the 1:33 mark.

Israel Vazquez, somewhat amazingly, will test his comeback from three surgeries to repair a detached retina in his right eye in the most severe way possible: a fourth fight against his legendary rival Rafael Marquez on Saturday night at Staples Center. The boxers have given their sport two "Fights of the Year" during their trilogy, with Vazquez winning two of the three battles. Word of mouth about the Vazquez-Marquez trilogy, which began three years ago in front of a half-filled Home Depot Center tennis arena, has grown to the point that 10,000 are expected for the nontitle featherweight bout.

Israel Vazquez, somewhat amazingly, will test his comeback from three surgeries to repair a detached retina in his right eye in the most severe way possible: a fourth fight against his legendary rival Rafael Marquez on Saturday night at Staples Center. The boxers have given their sport two "Fights of the Year" during their trilogy, with Vazquez winning two of the three battles. Word of mouth about the Vazquez-Marquez trilogy, which began three years ago in front of a half-filled Home Depot Center tennis arena, has grown to the point that 10,000 are expected for the nontitle featherweight bout.

Israel Vazquez has proven himself as a world champion fighter. Vazquez became a fan favorite in 25 rounds of a stirring trilogy against Mexico's Rafael Marquez. Vazquez starred in a 12th round for the ages in March 2008 when he unleashed an onslaught of blows that finally knocked down Marquez in the final three seconds, giving Vazquez the deciding point he needed in a split-decision triumph. The toll from those battles was great for Vazquez (43-4, 31 KOs), the bantamweight world champion.

A 19-month layoff hasn't changed this about Israel Vazquez: When he senses urgency, he's at his best. One round after a ringside physician inspected a troubling cut over his left eyebrow, and struggling through a ring-rusted performance, Vazquez rallied to knock down Angel Priolo three times in the ninth round before referee Pat Russell stopped the featherweight fight at the 2:10 mark Saturday at downtown L.A.'s Nokia Theatre. With his cut worsening and two judges scoring the fight even, Vazquez (44-4, 33 knockouts)

Skill, training and determination have allowed Israel Vazquez to become a world champion boxer. The people who inspire those attributes can be found inside a small Huntington Park home, to which Vazquez returned last August after a grueling title fight in Hidalgo, Texas. With his two young children inside, a battered Vazquez first found his wife, Laura. He hugged her, and whispered reassurance: "We won."

Thirty-four seconds into the 12th round of Thursday's main event at the Olympic Auditorium, referee James Jen Kim wrapped his arms around Jose Luis Valbuena, stared into Valbuena's glazed eyes and told the fighter his dream of winning the vacant International Boxing Federation junior-featherweight title was over. Valbuena didn't protest. He had been solidly beaten by Israel Vazquez (36-3, 26 knockouts) in front of a crowd of 2,812.

Tonight's super-bantamweight title fight between champion Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez has the boxing crowd jumping. There's a prediction that the bout at Home Depot Center has all the makings of the fight of the year. The boxers' credentials prompted promoter Gary Shaw to project this Vazquez-Marquez meeting as chapter one of a trilogy. "We don't need to light off too many fireworks to bring the people of L.A. to this fight," said Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain, Marquez's trainer.

Israel Vazquez tried to breathe through a broken nose for seven rounds. When he couldn't any longer Saturday at the Home Depot Center, the super-bantamweight champion told his trainer Freddie Roach to stop the fight. Stunned amid hugs in the opposite corner after being knocked down by Vazquez in the third round, Rafael Marquez ended the reign of the six-time World Boxing Council title defender, and quickly embraced the contract stipulation that demands a rematch.

A 19-month layoff hasn't changed this about Israel Vazquez: When he senses urgency, he's at his best. One round after a ringside physician inspected a troubling cut over his left eyebrow, and struggling through a ring-rusted performance, Vazquez rallied to knock down Angel Priolo three times in the ninth round before referee Pat Russell stopped the featherweight fight at the 2:10 mark Saturday at downtown L.A.'s Nokia Theatre. With his cut worsening and two judges scoring the fight even, Vazquez (44-4, 33 knockouts)

Israel Vazquez has proven himself as a world champion fighter. Vazquez became a fan favorite in 25 rounds of a stirring trilogy against Mexico's Rafael Marquez. Vazquez starred in a 12th round for the ages in March 2008 when he unleashed an onslaught of blows that finally knocked down Marquez in the final three seconds, giving Vazquez the deciding point he needed in a split-decision triumph. The toll from those battles was great for Vazquez (43-4, 31 KOs), the bantamweight world champion.

Skill, training and determination have allowed Israel Vazquez to become a world champion boxer. The people who inspire those attributes can be found inside a small Huntington Park home, to which Vazquez returned last August after a grueling title fight in Hidalgo, Texas. With his two young children inside, a battered Vazquez first found his wife, Laura. He hugged her, and whispered reassurance: "We won."

Israel Vazquez tried to breathe through a broken nose for seven rounds. When he couldn't any longer Saturday at the Home Depot Center, the super-bantamweight champion told his trainer Freddie Roach to stop the fight. Stunned amid hugs in the opposite corner after being knocked down by Vazquez in the third round, Rafael Marquez ended the reign of the six-time World Boxing Council title defender, and quickly embraced the contract stipulation that demands a rematch.

Tonight's super-bantamweight title fight between champion Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez has the boxing crowd jumping. There's a prediction that the bout at Home Depot Center has all the makings of the fight of the year. The boxers' credentials prompted promoter Gary Shaw to project this Vazquez-Marquez meeting as chapter one of a trilogy. "We don't need to light off too many fireworks to bring the people of L.A. to this fight," said Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain, Marquez's trainer.

Israel Vazquez handed top-ranked contender Artyom Simonyan his first defeat and retained his International Boxing Federation junior featherweight championship with a fifth-round knockout Tuesday night at El Cajon, Calif. Making his first defense of the 122-pound title he won nine months ago, Vazquez ended it with a looping right that snapped back Simonyan's head and prompted referee James Jen-Kin to halt the bout with 59 seconds gone in the fifth of 12 scheduled rounds.

Israel Vazquez handed top-ranked contender Artyom Simonyan his first defeat and retained his International Boxing Federation junior featherweight championship with a fifth-round knockout Tuesday night at El Cajon, Calif. Making his first defense of the 122-pound title he won nine months ago, Vazquez ended it with a looping right that snapped back Simonyan's head and prompted referee James Jen-Kin to halt the bout with 59 seconds gone in the fifth of 12 scheduled rounds.

Puerto Rican welterweight Santos Cardona will try to move a step closer to a fifth world title bout when he fights battle-tested Juan Soberanes of Culiacan, Mexico, in tonight's 10-round main event at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. Cardona (35-7, 24 knockouts) lost his first four title shots, three by decision.

Thirty-four seconds into the 12th round of Thursday's main event at the Olympic Auditorium, referee James Jen Kim wrapped his arms around Jose Luis Valbuena, stared into Valbuena's glazed eyes and told the fighter his dream of winning the vacant International Boxing Federation junior-featherweight title was over. Valbuena didn't protest. He had been solidly beaten by Israel Vazquez (36-3, 26 knockouts) in front of a crowd of 2,812.