BoxRec

Puerto rico's Vazquez vs mexico's Vazquez.

how does anyone see this fight turning out?

Vazquez, 3 division title holder, contested world titles between 1986 and 1998. known for being plodding and a bit looping with his shots. but took it to major talent Miguel lora in their bantamweight classic, razor close, both men down, indeed anyone's fight (scored in favour of lora); outboxed orlando canizales, a guy who's supposed to be a great boxer, dealt with him quite methodically, boxed to a plan vs a guy with 16 straight world title wins (to defend his super bantam crown). form could be spotty, great wins followed by disappointing losses (cermeno) and he could plod through fights, notably the narrow win over freddy cruz; but he's a fighter who could spring a surprise next time out, in the manner of more popular countryman Edwin Rosario. could be careless & KO'd himself, as happened in that astonishing non title fight with Antonio avelar; also capable of persevering and scoring the late KO - that classic shot that put eloy rojas away in the 11th to become featherweight title holder. by the time he fought naz, he was dangerous but obviously had nowhere near the workrate or urgency shown vs lora, whom he was able to jab repeatedly (and heavily) and land body shots on; and was stopped in his most high profile fight that finished him at world level.

Vazquez, equally gritty fighter, with a more compact career - did all the major stuff in one big surge, 2005-2008, at one weight, avenging defeat to Oscar larios, ploughing through ivan hernandez, overcoming jhonny gonzalez after beating, boxing lesson & huge points deficit; and then the "trilogy" with Rafael marquez. some felt he quit the first fight, but he returned with controversial rematch win, and the rubber match typified Israel - he needed to drop marquez in the 12th & did so in the final minute. this is surely one of the greatest fights of all time, and what raises this fight is it matched two men with outstanding offensive skills: every shot clean, compact, turned over properly with full body weight behind it...(in an earlier fight, Vazquez produced a late knockdown vs hector velasquez, to edge a featherweight contest.) in his featherweight fights after marquez, he was a spent force, surely due to all the flush shots from marquez, who dismissed him easily in a 4th contest, exacerbating the facial damage suffered by Vazquez in his biggest fights.

really not sure whom I'd pick. no doubt the Puerto rican wins at 126. but how about 122-pounds?

At 122 Israel killing him

why are you so sure about Israel? he could be hurt, obviously in the 2nd Oscar larios battle in which he was outworked & stopped late.

I do however think Israel's the more solid, consistent fighter. his punch output, his jab, his body attack - everything to set up the brutal head shots. wilfredo, meanwhile, often fought in bursts, before backing off, often tired, with his gloves down. this left him open to the KO punch landed by avelar in their classic. in another shootout with a puncher, Vazquez was stopped in 1 by Contreras.

wilfredo got a huge amount out of his career but I feel he may have left his very best at bantam where he pushed Miguel lora to the limit. Vazquez clearly wanted it badly, was technically spot on, a jolting jab and heavy hooks downstairs vs the unorthodox talent...up in weight I never saw him sustain the attack this way. Israel, more mechanical, seemed to box to techniques painstakingly drilled in to him, whereas wilfredo could be a bit more casual in there, 1 minute bombing, another boxing or taking a breather.

in a war, it's possible Israel would soak up nasty punishment (we know he can take it, marquez 3rd fight) but there is the feeling he'd still be jabbing, working the body, when wilfredo was taking his breather. there's something fanatical about Israel's perseverance and even if he was being outboxed by wilfredo - who did so to orlando canizales - there's the feeling that Israel would be a real danger 'til the very end, because even if he's being hopelessly outboxed (see jhonny gonzalez fight) he will not stop.

it's interesting to compare their careers - Israel got the opponent he deserved, Rafael marquez, and both complemented one another perfectly (in terms of style, achievement, temperament).

who would've been wilfredo's perfect match? it may have been an awkward matchup but I'm thinking Daniel Zaragoza, who, like Vazquez would win and lose world titles away from home and continue to do so into their late '30s, over 12-year periods. wilfredo could have exciting, drawn out and very exciting wars vs non punchers.