By Jim Dower: Rafael Marquez (38-5, 34 KO’s) and Israel Vazquez (44-4, 32 KO’s) will fight for the 4th title this Saturday night at the Staples Center, in Los Angeles, California. Despite the excitement of their three previous fights with one another, boxing fans have pretty much ignored this fight altogether. The fighters haven’t helped themselves in that they’ve only fought two times a piece in the past three years and haven’t stayed in the public eye due to this inactivity. Their previous three fights took a lot out of both fighters with both of them taking a massive amount of punishment in the bouts, especially Vazquez.

Marquez won the first bout between the two fighters in March 2007, but then lost his next two fights against him. The last bout, in March 2008, was a close one with Vazquez winning by a 12 round split decision. Given that they had fought three consecutive bouts against each other, there was hope that Marquez and Vazquez would start fighting other opponents for a change. They did, but failed to take on anyone of note. Neither Vazquez nor Marquez have looked good in their fights, almost looking shot.

Vazquez defeated Angel Antonio Priolo by a 9th round stoppage last October but took a lot of punishment in that fight and looked slow. This was someone that Vazquez should have been able to blast apart if he was fighting in his prime, but he really struggled against him and had a lot of swelling around both eyes by the end of the fight. For his part, Marquez defeated Jose Francisco Mendoza by a 3rd round stoppage last year in May, but didn’t show the speed that he once had.

At this point, it’s hard to see either Marquez or Vazquez being able to win a major title in the junior featherweight or featherweight divisions. The divisions are stacked with talented younger fighters who have a lot in the tank and it’s likely that they would both be beaten if they tried their hands at winning another title at this point in their careers. Marquez is 35, and Vazquez is 32, but both of them have taken a massive amount of punishment in their three fights.

I expect this Saturday’s fight to be more of the same, and I don’t think it’s going to go 12 rounds. Vazquez could end up getting beaten again. He just looks a lot slower than he used to and he’s got a great deal of scar tissue around both of his eyes. His nose, which has been broken in the past, is also a problem for him. This may be the best option for both fighters at this stage of their careers. I’d hate to see what would happen if they were to take on Juan Manuel Lopez or Cellestino Caballero right now. I think it would be a slaughter with both Marquez and Vazquez taking a beating.