By MARK WHICKER, The Orange County Register
LOS ANGELES – It's a laughable question to ask of a sport that often gives us 12 rounds without contact and 365 days without significance.
But can a fight be too good?
Especially for the good of the fighters?
Oscar De La Hoya asked himself that question when Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez told him they were not done with each other, not after 25 rounds and three matches that represented boxing's highest common denominator.
"I was one of those who didn't want to see it again," De La Hoya said Thursday. "These guys fought three wars that, historically, were as good as any trilogy we've ever seen."
But eventually De La Hoya was outvoted "two to one," he said.
He also had other numbers in mind, particularly attendance numbers at Staples Center.
So, on May 22, here comes the fourth Battle of Mexico.
"I have to respect what the fighters want," De La Hoya said. "They wanted to close the book on who's best, once and for all. They wanted to give it to the fans. This will sell out this building. There's nothing I can do but stage it."
Vazquez and Marquez first met at The Home Depot Center on March 3, 2007. Marquez, coming up to 121 pounds, broke Vazquez's nose and won in the seventh round.
The first rematch was only five months and a day later, in Hidalgo, Texas, and Vazquez won that one in six.
The "tiebreaker" happened March 1, 2007, again at Home Depot. By now the true fans were riveted and a fairly wide chunk of "event" fans were curious. After 11 rounds, Marquez led.
"But then he felt he could just get through the 12th round and win a decision," remembered Eric Gomez, the matchmaker for Golden Boy Promotions. "He was fighting not to lose. Israel was fighting to win."
Which he did, with a dazzling 12th round that earned him a split decision by one point.
"But nobody felt there was closure," said Frank Espinoza, Vazquez's manager.
How could there be? It was like losing the seventh game of the World Series on an infield single.
No one can deny Vazquez and Marquez the chance to take their hearts, souls and, really, lives into the ring once more.
Not if you sat there numbly Saturday night and waited 12 rounds for Joshua Clottey to mount the slightest hostility toward Manny Pacquiao. Not if a juicy fight like Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. still is a figment of PlayStation. Not if you watched any heavyweight fight since Lennox Lewis retired Mike Tyson.
But you also reserve the right to shut at least one eye.
"There have been some comments from people," Gomez said. "Some people have mixed emotions. They're compassionate. But the hard core boxing fan says, 'Yeah! Fight 10 times.'
"Everywhere these boxers go, people ask them when they're getting back in the ring. Some of the on-and-off fans are interested, too. Maybe they missed one of the previous fights. They don't want to do that again."
Vazquez says he's heard the concerns.
"I don't have anything bad to say about people who say that," he said, through an interpreter, "but I know I want this fight because I want to prove who the better fighter is."
But then the outcome is almost irrelevant to many fans. They're in it for the thrill ride to the top of boxing's aspirations. In many of those 25 rounds, each fighter took turns at the controls, almost like improv theatre. Except the blood was real.
Vazquez has spent most of the past two years recovering from detached retina surgery. Each man has fought and won once, not very impressively, since Vazquez-Marquez III.
Marquez's only subsequent fight was a 3-round TKO of Jose Mendoza in Mexico last May 23.
The two Mexico City natives have not become buddies like Arturo Gatti and Micky Ward were, but they are cordial. They speak at restaurant encounters, and Marquez came over to shake Vazquez's hand Thursday. Certainly they know how they have defined, and enriched, each other. In each fight, Vazquez and Marquez have split the gate evenly.
"They are legends," said Gary Shaw, Marquez's promoter. "They will walk into the Hall of Fame together. To me, this is just the start of the next trilogy."
Maybe. For now it's Vazquez-Marquez IV.
De La Hoya speaks for an entire sport when he hopes the IV stands for four and not intravenous.
mwhicker@ocregister.com
Source: ocregister.com
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