MEXICO CITY SUPERSTARS ISRAEL VAZQUEZ,
RAFAEL MARQUEZ COLLIDE MARCH 3
AT HOME DEPOT CENTER IN LOS ANGELES
IN TITLE BATTLE BETWEEN WORLD CHAMPS

An anxiously anticipated fight-fans’ dream match-up between Sycuan Ringside Promotions’ and Golden Boy Promotions’ World Boxing Council (WBC) super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez and Gary Shaw Productions’ International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight champion Rafael Marquez takes place at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif., on Saturday, March 3. 

Sycuan Ringside Promotions; Gary Shaw Productions, LLC; and Golden Boy Promotions made the official announcement today.

The 12-round bout will be for Vazquez’s WBC super bantamweight championship.

Tickets, priced at $25, $50, $75, $100, $150 and a limited amount at $200, are on sale through all TicketMaster outlets and on-line at ticketmaster.com.  Tickets also may be purchased at the Home Depot Center box office from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. (Pacific) Monday through Friday. 

In the co-main event popular, pint-sized powerhouse, undefeated southpaw IBF/International Boxing Organization flyweight champion Vic Darchinyan (26-0, 21 KOs) makes a mandatory title defense against top-rated 112-pound contender Victor Burgos (39-14-3, 23 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.

Vazquez (41-3, 31 KOs), universally recognized as the most talented and exciting in the world at 122 pounds, and the hard-hitting Marquez (36-3, 32 KOs), the planet’s most feared boxer-slugger at 118, will collide March 3  in a match-up of Mexico City superstars.

“This fight will be far from easy,” said Vazquez, who now lives in Cudahy, Calif.  “Marquez is a great fighter.  He’s an excellent boxer-puncher and he hits hard.”

The thrilling Vazquez, who is making his third defense, is coming off an electrifying 10th-round technical knockout over game Jhonny Gonzalez Sept. 16, 2006.  Vasquez did it the hard way, rallying from two knockdowns to stop his courageous, but outclassed challenger.
 
“I’m confident in my boxing ability and I hit hard,” Vazquez said.  “I’m stronger than Marquez.  I’m the strongest guy he has faced so far.  My punching power will be the difference.”

The confident Marquez has won 15 straight, 12 by knockout, making him one of the most dangerous fighters not only Vazquez has faced, but in the sport of boxing.

On the other hand, Vazquez, a two-time world champion at 122 pounds, has won nine in a row, seven by knockout.  

“I am certain I will be victorious,” Vazquez said. “This is a great fight for the fans. I cannot wait until March 3.’’

Marquez, one-half of boxing’s most formidable brother tandems, with his brother two-time world featherweight champion Juan Manuel, has successfully defended his title eight times during his four-year reign, admits he is in need of new worlds to conquer.   

“I have long wanted to fight for another world title in a higher weight division but only Israel Vazquez was man enough of all the world champions at 122 pounds to accept my challenge,” said Marquez.  “There is more at stake than a world championship.  This is about pride and honor.  We are both from Mexico City and when we finally step into the ring at the Home Depot Center, it will be an all out civil war. On March 3, we have a date with destiny.  And it is my destiny to leave the ring that night as a two-division world champion.” 

“If Israel is the most exciting boxer in the sport,” said Glenn Quiroga, president of Sycuan Ringside Promotions, “then Rafael just may be No. 2.

“This truly is a dream fight for the fans and the kind of match-up the sport of boxing needs,” said Quiroga.  “Sycuan Ringside Promotions is proud to be part of what will be an exciting and memorable event.’’

“When they say good things come in small packages, you don’t have to look any further than Rafael Marquez and Vic Darchinyan,” said Shaw.  “They are both pure dynamite carrying heavyweight power in both fists.  When it comes to true excitement and entertainment, pound-for-pound, no one rates higher than Rafael and Vic.  No gimmicks for them.  They only want to fight the best and they only want to beat the best.  Israel Vazquez and Victor Burgos are going to learn that the hard way on March 3.”

“Israel Vazquez was Golden Boy Promotions first world champion fighter and we truly believe that he is one of the best super bantamweight fighter in the world,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions.  “After an exciting comeback victory over Jhonny Gonzalez, he proved he was the best and on March 3, he will prove it again.”

“This will be the fight of the year,” said Scott Woodworth, vice president of Sycuan Ringside Promotions.  “How can it be anything but that considering who’s fighting?

“Both Israel and Rafael are aggressive, relentless and heavy hitters,’’ said Woodworth.

The crowd-pleasing, Armenian-born, Sydney, Australia-based Darchinyan, also known as “The Lord of the Flys,” has won eight consecutive bouts by knockout and is making his sixth title defense.

The card will be nationally televised on Showtime.

ABOUT GARY SHAW PRODUCTIONS
Gary Shaw Productions of Totowa, NJ was established in 2002.  In its short history, GSP has promoted or co-promoted many popular world champions including: Mike Tyson, Lennox Lewis, Winky Wright, Sugar Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao, Diego Corrales, Jeff Lacy, Rafael Marquez, Vic Darchinyan and his newest titleist, light heavyweight “Bad” Chad Dawson.

The only major promoter with a regulatory background, Shaw’s 36-year association with professional boxing began with his 28-year tenure on the New Jersey State Athletic Control Commission, before resigning in 1999 to become a promoter, first as the chief operating operator for Main Events, and now as president of GSP.  Shaw has promoted or co-promoted many of the biggest grossing fights in boxing history, including Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson, the biggest grossing pay-per-fight with 1.8 million PPV buys, generating approximately $103 million in gross PPV revenue; Felix Trinidad vs. Fernando Vargas; Lennox Lewis vs. Vitali Klitschko; Winky Wright vs. Felix Trinidad; Diego Corrales vs. Jose Luis Castillo and Shane Mosley vs. Winky Wright.

ABOUT SYCUAN RINGSIDE PROMOTIONS
Sycuan Ringside Promotions of San Diego is considered to be the fastest-growing and most dynamic promotional entity in the sport. Sycuan Ringside Promotions made its promotional debut during 2004, but already has or had six current or former world champions and has promoted and presented world title bouts across the country on premium cable networks.

Sycuan Ringside Promotions has many notable boxers in its stable, including IBF lightweight champion Julio Diaz, undefeated World Boxing Organization junior lightweight champion Joan Guzman, World Boxing Association super bantamweight champion Celestino Caballero, former WBC welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir and unbeaten prospects teenage lightweight sensation Jorge Paez Jr. and cruiserweight Shawn Hawk.

ABOUT GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS
Los Angeles-based Golden Boy Promotions was established in 2001 by Oscar De La Hoya, the first Hispanic to own a national boxing promotional company. In 2006, their fifth year of promoting, Golden Boy Promotions broke a record by selling over $2 million in pay-per-views.  Golden Boy Promotions is also one of boxing’s most active and respected promoters, presenting shows in packed venues around the United States on networks such as HBO, HBO Latino, Telefutura, ESPN and Showtime.  

Golden Boy Promotions currently has close to 50 fighters under contract, from future hall of famers Bernard Hopkins, Marco Antonio Barrera, Sugar Shane Mosley and the recently retired Jesse James Leija, to current world champions Daniel Ponce De Leon, Jhonny Gonzalez, Juan Manuel Marquez, Fernando Montiel, Israel Vazquez, and Joan Guzman. Also included on the company’s roster are top contenders Librado Andrade, Juan Lazcano, Rocky Juarez, Oscar Larios, Demetrius Hopkins, Ishe Smith, and Rey Bautista, as well as 2004 Olympians Abner Mares and Vicente Escobedo, and highly regarded Antonio Escalante, Rock Allen and Billy Dib.