Sycuan Boxing Honors World Champion Israel Vazquez In San Diego

ByBoxing Press

Click for larger image © Joel Zwink / Sycuan Ringside Promotions

Sycuan Ringside Promotions of San Diego honored one of the greatest, most talented pound-for-pound and exciting fighters in the world, Israel Vazquez, at a victory celebration dinner at the Historic U.S. Grant Hotel in downtown San Diego on Wednesday for his legendary, instant-classic victories over arch rival Rafael Marquez.

Vazquez, who is promoted by Sycuan and managed by Frank Espinoza, successfully defended his world 122-crown by rallying dramatically to outpoint Marquez on Saturday, March 1, 2008, in the rubber match of an epic, memorable series.

Vazquez would reign supreme in the exhilarating trilogy, taking two out of three. Each slugfest would top the previous one in energy, excitement and goosebumps, making it one of the most critically acclaimed trilogies of all time.

The dinner, set in a plush and lavish ballroom in the historic U.S. Grant Hotel, had the look and feel of one of those old-fashioned, picturesque Hollywood galas. In addition to throwing a lavish dinner for the world champion, Sycuan Ringside Promotions also gave Vazquez a special gift; a six-figure bonus to use anyway he sees fit.

Scott Woodworth: “What Israel did in the three fights against Rafael Marquez is unbelievable. I’ve seen trilogies before and Vazquez-Marquez is the best of all time. I can’t say enough about how much courage and heart this kid [Vazquez] has. He’s a special fighter that you don’t see very often.

“The great thing about this trilogy is that Israel had to come back and win two fights in a row. He could have come out flat in the second fight but he didn’t. He showed the courage and determination of a true warrior and champion in his second and third battles against Marquez. Sycuan Ringside Promotions is lucky to have him.

“I’ll say one more thing about the third fight. I think it’s a shame that Oscar De La Hoya held a press conference for his fight against Steve Forbes during fight week of Vazquez-Marquez III. I’ve known Oscar for a long time and he shouldn’t have done that. It was supposed to be all about Vazquez-Marquez III that week. I couldn’t stay silent on this subject any longer than I have. It was flat out wrong.”

Glenn Quiroga: “Israel wasn’t happy about losing the first fight. He told all of us in the locker room after the first fight that he was going to get his title back in the rematch. I saw something in his eyes that is hard to express through words, you had to be there to really experience what I’m talking about. I saw determination, anger and passion in ways that I’ve never seen before.

“Sycuan Ringside Promotions can’t thank Israel enough for giving us three classic and historic fights in just one year. Israel knows how to win big, tough fights. It’s what he does best. No one will ever be able to take that away from him.”

Frank Espinoza: “There is no doubt in my mind that Israel has solidified his status as one of the world’s most exciting and talented fighters. The courage and skill he displayed in his fights against Marquez will go down as some of the best in the history of this storied sport.

“What can I say? Israel Vazquez is a one-of-a-kind fighter. There has been no one like him in the past, there is no one like him in the present and there will be no one like him in the future.”

Israel Vazquez: “I need to thank Sycuan Ringside Promotions before I thank anyone else. They’ve been with me for a long time now and I’m glad our relationship has grown and matured. It has gotten to the point where I see Scott [Woodworth] and Glenn [Quiroga] as family now. They’ve given me so much support through the years that I won’t be able to thank them enough.”

“This bonus is great. Sycuan takes care of its fighters. They know how to make a boxer feel special and important. The historical significance of the trilogy is still sinking in. None of us will know the true impact until several years from now, but I truly believe that this trilogy will stand the test of time. I think it will be remembered for many, many years.”