Israel Vazquez: “It was a war!”
 By Benny Henderson Jr - A.K.A "Big Dog" (Sep 24, 2006) Photo © German Villasenor
Before last weekends championship match-up at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, NV between the reigning WBC super bantamweight champion Israel Vazquez 41-3 (30) and the hard hitting contender Jhonny Gonzalez 33-5 (28) Vazquez told the Doghouse that he was ready for war. Well, warfare was what he received and after a ten round heated exchange the Mexican combatant won the battle in entertaining fashion.
Vazquez came into the fight as Ring Magazine’s number one guy and only solidified his stance on the 122-pound division getting up off the canvas twice to go on to defeat Gonzalez with a tenth round TKO victory. On both occasions Vazquez
was caught with wincing left hooks, once in the fourth and the second time in the sixth.
“Jhonny hit me with a clean shot but it was more of a flash knockdown. I wasn't that hurt but I knew I was down on points and had to get something started,” Vazquez explained to the Doghouse.
And the tough as nails fighter found that certain something to turn the tide in the seventh round when he dropped Gonzalez with an overhand right.
“The tables began to turn in the seventh round, Gonzalez didn't have the same snap as he did in the earlier rounds and I knew he was tired and I was able to get in the inside,” said Vazquez. “Once I knocked him down, I knew I could win this fight.”
The two ring warriors went toe-to-toe in a bloodied battle that had it share of back and fourth action but after a battered Gonzalez was bobbled and wobbled repeatedly from the heavy hands of Vazquez his corner astutely threw in the towel stopping the fight at the 2:09 mark of the tenth round, giving Vazquez a hard earned but well deserved win.
“I feel the corner men did the right thing in throwing in the towel,” explained Vazquez. “I knew Jhonny was really hurt and had nothing left. Jhonny Gonzalez is a warrior and would of continued but it wouldn't have been the smartest thing. Jhonny’s a very intelligent fighter and gave me everything he had, but in the end it was who wanted it the most and I think Oscar Suarez did the right thing."
What’s next for the twenty-eight year old champion?
"Well, I'm going to get some rest and spend time with my family. I eventually plan to sit down and talk with my manager, and my promoters Sycuan and Golden Boy to see what's next for me,’ explained Vazquez. “I will return soon and I really want to thank my fans for supporting me and hope they enjoyed the fight, I told them it was going to be a war, and without a doubt it was a war!”
I would to thank Frank Espinoza for making this interview possible, and a thank you goes out to Israel Vazquez for taking the time out to give the Doghouse some quotes.
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