CARSON, Calif. — Rafael Marquez took the WBC super bantamweight crown from Israel Vazquez on Saturday night when Vazquez had to quit after seven rounds because of a broken nose.
Marquez landed a straight right in the first round that broke Vazquez’s nose and buckled the champion’s knees momentarily.
Although he was having difficulty breathing, Vasquez caught Marquez with a left uppercut to knock him down in the third round.
Vazquez told cornerman Freddie Roach after the seventh that he could not breathe at all through his nose, so Roach informed referee Raul Caiz and he ended it.
Marquez (37-3, 33 knockouts) was ahead on two of the three judges’ cards at the finish. Vazquez is 41-4, with 31 knockouts.
Marquez, from Mexico City, weighed in at 121? pounds. Vazquez, who was born in Mexico City and lives in the Los Angeles suburb of Huntington Park, weighed 121?.
Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press
