By Ricardo Lopez Juarez
Just hours after meeting the sad news of the death of the Mexican Israel Vázqueza legendary fighter who was a world champion, reactions and tributes began to pour in for him from the boxing world. The most significant reaction of all has been that of the man who was his great enemy in the ring.
Rafael Márquez, who four times got into the ring to fight against Israel Vázquez in one of the rivalries that provided the best battles in the recent history of the sport of fists, offered heartfelt and emotional words for “El Magnífico” Vázquezwho succumbed to cancer at the age of 46 in Los Angeles.
“Today I woke up with very sad news, my friend and colleague @isra_el_magnifico passed away, it was a great honor for me to have shared those battles with him, and above all to have the fortune of having known the great human being that he was,” wrote Márquez on his Instagram account accompanying a video with images of his most important sports rival.
“A great warrior inside and outside the ring… I will remember you forever,” added Juan Manuel Márquez’s younger brother. “I join in the pain of his family. Rest in peace dear friend Israel Vázquez”.
Marquez vs. Vázquez, three brutal wars in just 12 months
Marquez, who last year was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York, defeated Vazquez in their first battle, held on March 3, 2007 in Carson, California. “The Magnificent” retired in the 7th round. But on August 4 of that same year, Vázquez won the rematch with an impressive knockout in 6 rounds in Hidalgo, Texas, recovering the world super bantamweight championship.
The trilogy was completed on March 1, 2008 back in Carson, where Vázquez won by split decision in a spectacular fight that kept the audience on their feet most of the 12 rounds. It was named Fight of the Year by the Boxing Writers Association of the United States.
Both fighters, already very hurt after their three consecutive wars in just 12 months, faced each other again on May 22, 2010 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. That fight ended quickly due to a grotesque cut suffered by Vázquez, who could not continue in round 3. It was the end of him as an active boxer.
Márquez, for his part, continued with his career, but was never the same after the bloody fights with Vázquez. and lost four of their last six games, finishing 2013 with a 41-9 record. He was world bantamweight and super bantamweight champion.
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