Israel Vazquez, a three-time junior featherweight champion who became one of the most respected all-action fighters in modern Mexican history, has died of cancer at the age of 46.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman revealed the news Tuesday on social media. Vazquez, a native of Mexico City, announced his cancer battle publicly in November. The WBC immediately set up a GoFundMe account for Vazquez’s family, which has raised over $44,000 to date.
Vazquez retired in 2010 with a record of 44-5 (32 KOs) and was best known for his four-fight rivalry with Hall-of-Famer Rafael Marquez, which saw their second and third bouts, respectively, earn “The Ring” magazine fight of the year honors in 2007 and 2008.
Although Vazquez appeared on ballots in recent years, he has yet to receive enough votes for enshrinement in the International Boxing Hall of Fame, located in Canastota, New York.
“Thank you Israel for the so many great memories that you have given us through your actions inside the ring but most importantly outside of it,” Suliaman wrote on social media. “You are now eternal, rest in peace, everything will be all right.”
Vazquez, who made his pro debut in 1995 at the age of 17, would go on to author an incredible 15-year pro career that saw him forever linked with Marquez, which ended with both fighters scoring two wins apiece.
Marquez badly broke the nose of Vazquez in their first meeting in 2007 to capture the WBC and Ring lineal titles at 122 pounds via seventh-round TKO (despite Vazquez scoring a knockdown in Round 3). But it was their second and third meetings over the next year, which Vazquez win by sixth-round TKO and via split decision (after rising from a knockdown), which elevated their rivalry to all-time great status on par with contemporary feuds like Marco Antonio Barrera-Erik Morales and Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez.
A fourth, and largely unnecessary bout, between the two rivals took place in 2010 at featherweight, with Marquez scoring a third-round knockout. The bout was the 49th and final one of Vazquez’s career due to eye problems caused by a detached retina he suffered in the third Marquez fight.
Vazquez’s former trainer, Hall-of-Famer Freddie Roach, shared a statement with Boxing Scene on Tuesday about the impact of his fighter.
“Forever a world champion and legend in boxing,” Roach wrote. “One of the best boxers I have had the privilege of working with — a world champion. Israel, my friend, may you rest in peace now. My condolences to the Vazquez family and to all those who called Israel their friend.”
Vazquez also engaged over eight years in an exciting trilogywith countrymen Oscar Larios, with all three fights ending by stoppage. Vazquez won their first meeting in 1997 via first-round KO, dropped their 2002 rematch via 12th-round TKO and rallied to finish Larios in Round 3 of their 2005 trilogy to capture the WBC and Ring junior featherweight titles.
