By Jake Donovan
Rafael Marquez. Israel Vazquez.
The good and bad thing about unforgettable multiple fight series is that no matter what you’ve accomplished prior to and what you go on to achieve afterward, your name remains forever linked to the fighter who repeatedly joined you in a journey to hell and back.
Twice Marquez and Vazquez hooked up to provide the best fight of the year. Their August 2007 rematch won top honors for that year, while the dynamic duo were unanimously recognized for their rubber match providing not just the best fight of 2008 but one of the greatest fights in recent memory.
All of this followed their incredible first fight in March 2007, which amazingly managed to get lost in the shuffle. It’s an unfair status for such a fight, especially for Marquez considering it was the only of the three in which his hand was raised. The win earned the Mexican boxer-puncher the lineal super bantamweight title, following a three-plus year stay atop the bantamweight division, and two weeks prior to older brother Juan Manuel Marquez dethroning Marco Antonio Barrera to claim a junior lightweight trinket.
To call all of it a tough act to follow would be a tremendous understatement. For Marquez (37-5, 33KO), the first step in life after Vazquez comes this Saturday, when he faces hard-hitting Colombian featherweight Jose Francisco Mendoza (21-2-2, 17KO) in Monterey, Mexico.
There have been plenty of memories in Marquez’ career; just not a lot of variance. Nine of his last 14 fights have come against repeat opponents, having fought twice each against Silence Mabuza, Mauricio Pastrana and Mark Johnson in addition to the Vazquez three-pack.
Distinct among that 14 fight stretch is that all took place in the United States, with most televised on either HBO, Showtime, or their pay-per-view arms. After having lost his last two fights, Marquez heads home for the first time in seven years, with this weekend’s featherweight encounter taking place south of the border.
Though the setting may seem familiar, the one place that may seem foreign just before the opening bell will be the very place that has made him a star – the boxing ring. Saturday marks the first time in nearly 15 months that Marquez has last officially punched for pay, taking an extended leave of absence following the heartbreaking split decision loss to Vazquez in their March 2008 rubber match.
Given the downtime, Marquez is anxious to return to the ring, though insists ring rust will not be a factor.
“I’ve been out for more than a year, but I never left the ring,” Marquez insisted to Boxingscene.com hours after making the contracted weight of 126 lb for the Saturday co-feature. “I’ve been training for eight months and have been anxious to return to the ring.
“I feel great; there won’t be any surprises.”
That’s not to say there won’t be any thrills. When a fighter like Rafael Marquez insists it will be just another day at the office, that’s always a good thing. Few entertain as often as the diminutive boxer-puncher. All but five of his 42 career fights have ended inside the distance, though the number of bouts that have failed to entertain in his 14 year career is zero.
Marquez has no intention of changing that statistic this weekend. Winning is still the primary objective, especially considering that it’s been two years since he’s seen a check mark in the W column. But nowhere in the script does it call for his winning today and looking good the next time.
“When I’m finished in boxing, the one thing I want everyone to remember me by is the fact that I always gave everything in the ring. It’s that same drive that allowed me to be among the best in the world for so long. That is where I plan to return, beginning with this weekend.”
On paper, Mendoza is the ideal opponent to not only give Marquez a win, but look spectacular in doing so. Few of his wins have come against anyone of note, and he is presently 0-2 in fights outside of his native Colombia.
How the fight looks on paper means very little to Marquez. More than that is at stake in this fight, the exact scenario he had hoped for when preparing to return to the ring – a win at home, then returning to the mix.
No better audition than playing the co-feature to a headlining act in which the two winners will most likely next meet in a head-on collision later this year.
The evening’s main event is a super bantamweight title fight between champion Toshiaki Nishioka of Japan and former bantamweight titlist and hometown favorite Jhonny Gonzalez. Originally, Marquez and Mendoza were slated to fight in a title eliminator, but both fighters instead agreed to weigh in at the featherweight limit.
It still doesn’t change the big picture, nor does it take away from Marquez’ interest in the evening’s top bill – providing he takes care of business in his own fight.
That said, Marquez insists that it’s just another day at the office, while it’s the main event players who need to stress about what lies ahead, particularly his countryman.
“I’m ready for my fight. Winning isn’t even a concern to me. The real pressure is on Gonzalez; he has to win the title. The only pressure for me would be if I took this fight lightly, but that’s not the case. I’ve been focused on Mendoza as soon as they announced him as my opponent.”
Promoter Gary Shaw agrees, even though his involvement in the show is non-existent.
“Even with the long layoff, I don’t expect to see anything other than the usual balls-to-the-wall performance, showing he can box, showing his speed and of course his punching power.
It’s been a while, but I have no question that he’s 100% focused and will do terrific. It doesn’t always have to be Israel Vazquez in the other corner to bring out the best in my kid.”
There might be a lot more proof of that in the near future, if not for as long as the rest of Marquez’ career lasts. Vazquez is still on the sidelines with no fights scheduled and awaiting medical clearance in order to renew his boxing license.
Meanwhile, Marquez still needs to eat. Even without a fourth Vazquez fight, he envisions plenty on which he can feast.
“The Mendoza fight marks my journey to reminding everyone how I became one of the best in the sport,” reminds Marquez, who has been a fixture in many pound-for-pound rankings for the better part of the decade. “The series with Vazquez is a time that I will never forget, but I was one of the best before our fights, and will continue to remain among the best.”
He has plenty to choose from, and to his credit doesn’t shy away from dropping names.
“Given what this night is about, I’d love to fight Gonzalez if he wins the title. I’m focused on my fight, but once I take care of business, I look forward to watching the main event to see who I might be fighting next.
“If that doesn’t happen, then there’s always Celestino Caballero or Juan Manuel Lopez. It doesn’t matter to me.”
It matters a little to his promoter, who is still holding out hope that Vazquez returns so both fighter can earn their deserved seven-figure paydays.
“There’s no question that the biggest fight out there is a fourth fight with Vazquez. It gains immediate TV interest and generates the most money. Marquez is at the point in his career where he deserves to make as much money as possible. A fight with Caballero brings nothing to the table, except a belt or two.
“Nobody’s talking about that fight; when you mention Marquez, the one fight everyone mentions is number four with Vazquez. I’d like to see it for the money, and to give my kid the chance to even up the score.”
Marquez will always accept the fights presented to him by his promoter, but that won’t stop him from pursuing every possible option en route to restoring and enhancing his legacy.
“Obviously everyone will remember me for my three fights with Vazquez. But before him, I was the best bantamweight in the world. Now I just want to win this fight and remind everyone I’m one of the best fighters in the world.
“I’m just happy to get back into the ring. I’m ready for another championship.”
With or without Israel Vazquez.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com and an award-winning member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Contact Jake at JakeNDaBox@gmail.com.
