Heroes & Villains

Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez are not your typical modern-day prize fighters who seek attention 24/7 and resort to name-calling just to promote a bout. They are two proud Mexican warriors who respect each other and don't need all the bells and whistles that sometimes overshadow the sport.

If you're not a hardcore boxing fan, you'll have a hard time pointing them out in a crowd. They are just a couple of two unassuming gladiators who allow their fists do most of the talking, and they have thrilled boxing fans with three incredible bantamweight fights comparable to other recent boxing trilogies such as Morales-Barrera or Gatti-Ward.

But 25 bloody rounds and almost 2,500 punches thrown were simply not enough to settle the score. Both camps felt that a fourth fight was sorely needed because Vazquez won the last fight by a point to earn a very close split decision and the first fight ended prematurely after Vazquez asked his then trainer Freddie Roach to stop the fight because he had trouble breathing due to a broken nose.

So, after taking a year off to heal, Vazquez (44-4, 33 knockouts) and Marquez (38-5, 34 knockouts) will slug it out for a fourth time in three years - this time in the 126-pound featherweight division - in Saturday night's main event at Staples Center in Los Angeles.

"Without a doubt, this is going to be a war just like the previous fights were. I'm really motivated to come back for this battle with Marquez and I know this fourth fight is going to be very significant to my career," said the 32-year-old Vazquez, who was born in Mexico City but currently resides in Huntington Park, Calif. Vazquez has a 2-1 edge in the head-to-head matchups with his rival.

"Israel Vazquez and I are destined to be intertwined together because of the legendary battles we have waged against each other, but I intend to close the book on our rivalry by dictating the final chapter," boasted Marquez, 35, the younger brother of former featherweight and lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.

While Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. continue to wrestle over details for their much anticipated super bout to determine the best pound-for-pound fighter of his generation, Vazquez and Marquez are about to embark on their third rematch and the winner could very well catapult his name into the pound-for-pound conversation.

Note: Heroes & Villains author Joel Huerto will be at Staples Center in L.A. to cover Vazquez-Marquez IV on Saturday night, May 22. To read his postfight blog, visit SportsFanLive.com/heroesvillains.