The boxing press met up with Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez at the El Monte Boxing Club to discuss their fight this weekend at The Home Depot Center in Carson. CA.
Sometimes we get more than we expect. Yesterday afternoon, the South El Monte Community Center was overrun by a horde of boxing journalists. We all waited outside the doors of the boxing gym waiting for Rafael Marquez and Israel Vazquez to show up, bounce around the ring for a few photo ops, and take some questions. Nobody said there would be food. Great food.
These publicity gatherings often have a spread of some sort, often dry sandwiches and soda. But this one had a darling little Mexican lady grilling up fresh carne asada, the smell of which wafted over the parking lot and diverted nearly everyone's focus from the job.
Poor Vazquez and Marquez, who have to make weight for this weekend's fight at The Home Depot Center, had to walk through the intoxicating smoke to get into the gym. Sometimes life isn't fair.
Once inside, it was time for business. I asked Vazquez what he thought about the probability of his long, accomplished career being defined by his trilogy with Marquez.
"Yes, even though I fought Jhonny Gonzalez and Oscar Larios and many other fighters. But this is the reason that this trilogy is so important to me, because I understand that it will define my career," said Vazquez
When I asked Marquez if he planned to slow the pace of the fight in order to use his boxing skills to beat Vazquez, he would have none of it.
"No. I'm not that type of fighter. I don't know how to do a boring fight. I'm fighting for the title and I know in order to win the fight I need to throw punches. Obviously I'll fight smart and I know how to box, but it won't be boring, because I'm not that type of fighter," said Marquez
