By Robert Morales

Israel Vazquez last Wednesday was honored by one of his two promotional companies at a Mexican restaurant in Lynwood, Calif. It was Sycuan Ringside Promotions’ way of thanking Vazquez for winning the rubber match of his fascinating trilogy with Rafael Marquez on March 1, and for showing the boxing world he is one of the most accomplished and courageous fighters today.

A group of about 75 that included reporters and family members enjoyed delicious food and the sounds of a terrific mariachi group. Vazquez had no shortage of well-wishers. And the kudos he received were well-deserved.

But perhaps one of the most compelling moments of the function came when we huddled with Scott Woodworth, Vazquez’s promoter at Sycuan. Woodworth talked about many things. He said that in his mind the three-fight series had by Vazquez and Marquez is the best in history. It’s a point difficult to argue. Woodworth also had an interesting take on the highly scrutinized crying jag Team Marquez went on after Vazquez was announced the split-decision winner in that third fight last month at Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.

We expected Woodworth to really rip Marquez, his Mexican promoter Jaime Quintana and his trainer Nacho Beristain. Instead, Woodworth came with something unexpected.

“There is a thing we have with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation,” Woodworth said, “because everybody thinks we’re just a casino; there’s an entire nation of people there. We have a saying with them and it’s, ‘The Kumeyaay way,’ which is sort of turn the other cheek.
“The one thing the Kumeyaays have taught me better than anything is empathy. Put yourself in that person’s shoes. So, yeah, we looked at it but then I think, God, being Marquez, you fought so hard, to lose by one. I can understand the bitterness, I think, the emotions of the night. So I give them a pass on that. … So, no, heat of battle, they gave everything they had, they felt they won. I understood that.”

If everyone went by ‘The Kumeyaay way,’ we would all be much better off. But Woodworth did not give Team Marquez a complete pass.

“I can say this, though, the best way I can answer, had the roles been reversed, would Scott (Woodworth), Frank (Espinoza) and Israel have treated it like that?” Woodworth said. “I can tell you assuredly we would not have. We would have accepted it. We would have said that it was a tough fight, it was a close fight, that we gave everything we had. But I think that’s what the Marquez camp meant to say. Just the heat of the night.”

Fair enough.

So, what’s next? If Espinoza, Vazquez’s manager, has his way it’s going to be a while before we see Vazquez back in the ring. The three vicious bouts with Marquez took place in less than a year’s time - two days shy, to be exact.

“They’ve been three brutal fights, he’s now at the point where he needs a well-deserved rest,” said Espinoza, who will be with Vazquez tonight when he is again honored by Sycuan at another ceremony in San Diego. “We’re not looking for any time soon. Right now we’re not even discussing when he’s going to come back. But as his manager I’m not planning on putting him in any time soon. I don’t have a date. Right now I just want him to enjoy the victory and just relax.”

Vazquez, of Huntington Park, Calif., via Mexico City, is cool with that.

“I had these last three fights that I worked really hard for,” Vazquez said, “so I’m going to take some time off to (rejuvenate) myself and really think about what my plans are for the next fight.”

Espinoza said it is doubtful that a fourth fight with Marquez would be in that thinking.
“Right now he’s earned the right, after three fights like that with Marquez, certainly my thinking right now is … he can pick and choose who he wants to fight,” Espinoza said. “I don’t think going right back into it would really make a lot of sense.

“You can build into a fight later, but certainly he’s (Marquez) not out of our range. But right now that’s not on our mind. I would like to give Israel a couple of fights with other fighters.”
Yes, Vazquez (43-4, 31 KOs) has earned a lot. He should be able to take a fight that is not bound to be as painful as his past three. No one deserves that more than him. He came out on the winning end of a trilogy that has historical implications, and he did it after once being considered a fighter who may never even win a world title.

He was 20-1 before being upset by Marcos Licona in March 1999. Since Licona himself wasn’t, and still isn’t, a legitimate world-class fighter, the setback was damaging. But Vazquez shook it off and won 12 consecutive fights, eight by knockout, and earned himself a fight with Oscar Larios for an interim super bantamweight championship in May 2002.
Vazquez was stopped in the 12th round of a fight he was losing on all scorecards, and that “tweener” jacket he had been wearing began to fit even better. Vazquez again shrugged it off and four fights later he stopped Jose Luis Valbuena in the 12th round to win a vacant world title in March 2004.

Vazquez has lost just once since the loss to Larios, and that was the second fight of the Marquez series. Vazquez is now 8-1 in legitimate world title fights (which doesn’t include the loss for the interim title), and one of those victories was a third-round stoggpage of Larios in a rematch in December 2005.

(Actually, Vazquez and Larios have had their own trilogy. They fought early in their respective careers in April 1997 with Vazquez knocking out Larios in the first round in Mexico City.)

“This is a kid that five years ago a lot of people didn’t even really believe where he’d be at today,” Espinoza said of Vazquez. “And look where he’s at today. He’s a future Hall of Famer.”

Yes, he is. And he’s proud of it.

“The legacy I hope to leave behind is one that will let the fight fans always remember me as a champion,” said Vazquez, 30. “I didn’t back down because I am a true warrior for all time.” 

Robert Morales can be reached at rmorales@15rounds.com

Posted on April 9th, 2008 by hunwut
Filed under: Sports