Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer told Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times that a fourth fight between Israel Vazquez and Rafael Marquez is looking like a go for February 27 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
He said Huntington Park's Israel Vazquez has signed to have a fourth fight with Mexico's Rafael Marquez on Feb. 27 at Staples Center. The super-bantamweight champion Vazquez engaged in two fights of the year with Marquez, but endured more than a yearlong layoff after suffering a detached retina in the memorable third fight in March 2008.
Schaefer said Marquez's promoter, Gary Shaw, and Showtime have expressed a strong willingness to make the fourth fight happen, and he expects it will.
A lot of us have said that we're not exactly itching to see Vazquez-Marquez IV, and as much as I love both fighters, I'm one of those people. Vazquez looked like he had almost nothing left in his October return against what was a very questionable opponent. Maybe it was that much rust, but I have my doubts.
But I can't argue with these guys wanting to make some money. Given the wars, they're unlikely to be fighting at the high level much long, or even fighting at all much longer. And a fourth fight with one another is going to pay them more than any other fight can.
I do wonder if Marquez's squabbles with Shaw have been resolved, because apparently that is part of what got in the way a few weeks back when Showtime offered what Shaw remembered as a one-time only deal of $2.5 million for this fight. Shaw seemed willing then to negotiate a buyout with Marquez, so we'll see what has changed.
Schaefer also named a date (March 13) for Jones-Hopkins II should both win their December 2 tune-ups, and says that Hopkins wants to move up to heavyweight and fight David Haye after that. Man, that is an intriguing idea, but I do not see a blown-up, 45-year-old Hopkins beating someone as strong as Haye.