13 years ago today: Cristián Ricardo Lucio "El Diamante" Mijares vs. Rafael "Rafa" Márquez Méndez

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The one that got away...

I believe this is to date my only RBR started but not finished because of anything besides technical difficulties (on either my end or a broadcaster's). Certainly the one I cared the most about, if there was ever another. Here is the original RBR thread:

https://www.boxingforum24.com/threads/cristian-mijares-vs-rafael-marquez-rbr.439684/

...in which I only got to score as far as the second round before my then-wife booted me on the street in the low fifties °F, four days before my 30th birthday, and on my son's first quarter-birthday (three months to a day from his birth), without even a coat.

I was a longtime fan of both guys, although Rafa Márquez had a bad habit of getting into rivalries with fighters I was an even bigger fan of (first Silence Mabuza, then Izzy "El Magnifico" Vázquez). This was no exception...Mijares was my dude. He was on my radar before the Arce upset but from then on he was a fave. IMO his boxing style was as clean and textbook as it gets for his generation. Not to say that RM was unscientific in the least, but definitely more of a boxer-puncher...which is also very cool, but again, to me he was the guy that thrashed Mabuza twice and obliterated Vázquez's nose in a bout that led to more idiotic corners of the boxing fandom to label Israel a "quitter". I think maybe the only time I rooted for him after 2005 is when Rafa fought JuanMa López.

Anyway, despite knowing - and back then, being thrilled by - the result I've never actually watched or scored the whole thing...mostly because that was kind of a dark time for me to revisit. But then, I believe it was Menander of Athens who said "time heals all wounds" (with all due respect the rebuttal over 2 millennia later by Gene Hoglan of Dallas, claiming time indeed doesn't heal...)

So here we go.


Cristián Ricardo Lucio Mijares vs. Rafael Márquez Méndez, 12 rounds @ featherweight

Round 1, I'll leave as my 2012 self more than adequately summarized:

Mijares jabs and moves his guard around, folding himself up as Marquez tries to dig his orthodox jab to the body. Mijares backs up to the ropes, turning himself in to get an elbow out to block. Marquez dives in with a 1-2 and gets slipped. Mijares tries an overhand left, missing as Marquez leans back. NICE right hand by Marquez, catching Mijares as he pulls away with his arms down. Uppercuts to the body by Marquez. Head clash. Mijares cut. Time out. Cleared. Point deducted from Marquez. Savage attacks by Marquez, incensed by the ref's decision. Mijares sticks his right jab in under Marquez's arm, but gets clipped by a 1-2.

9-9


Round 2, ditto:

Marquez is taking the fight to Mijares, pouring on left hooks to the face and diving rights to the body. Mijares is doing a fair job of slipping and twisting into the shots to minimize their impact, and getting in some light counters, but Marquez is bossing this on pure aggression.

10-9 Marquez

19-18 Marquez


~ at this point, IB of 13 years ago, moments before his own life blew up, was very concerned about El Diamante... Alright, prepare for brand-new content - finally finishing this thing in the big 2025! ~


Round 3

Márquez is stab-jabbing from a low base, legs anchored wide as he attacks sidelong from behind a tight guard. Mijares is rolling with the straight missiles coming in with movement above the waist, countering fluidly with hooks & uppercuts. Márquez indicates a butt, ignored by referee José Guadalupe García. Action heats up a minute in, with Mijares appearing to hurt Márquez and driving him into the ropes. The crowd is absolutely losing its mind at this shocking development - especially as, while the Márquez brothers have always been considered as vulnerable as they were dangerous, Mijares isn't renowned for his power. Huge turnaround here for Diamante, dog-walking Márquez for at least the last ninety seconds of the round. Márquez forced to hook and flurry on the backfoot, fighting on pure instinct and looking very disorganized.

10-9 Mijares

28-28


Round 4

Márquez is shooting his left jab over Mijares' right, hoping to stem any continuation of the disastrous third. Mijares grins and walks in a wide semicircle around Márquez stepping leftward, then pops him with an uppercut and reverses direction. Mijares slips the lunging Márquez orthodox jab or catches it on his raised right wrist. Márquez tries rushing him into the ropes but Mijares slickly navigates them and escapes being trapped in the corner. Márquez keeps pressuring, but Mijares is very comfortably countering with time to spare - casually wiping his nose and hiking up his trunks while he awaits his slower-footed Mexican compatriot. This is borderline disrespectful from Mijares.

10-9 Mijares

38-37 Mijares


WBC open scoring is announced - I made out at least one judge's official card being the same as mine, puntuación de treinta-ocho a treinta-siete.


Round 5

Márquez is spearing hard with the right hand but Mijares controlling range and making him fall short. Márquez wasting energy with it, repeatedly throwing it despite missing, uncharacteristic for such a smart fighter. Mijares has really gotten into Márquez's head in the last couple of rounds with the dizzying seesaw between the violent R3 and the very negative R4. Márquez is struggling to get past Mijares' southpaw hook, pawing up with his jab but getting countered each time. Márquez finally makes some solid contact with a 1-2 but just when it seems he might drive Mijares into a corner the pride of Gómez Palacio shows that he was just baiting all along and lands a corking pair of left hands to push full-court until the bell rings.

10-9 Mijares

48-46 Mijares


Round 6

Márquez is the aggressor early, jabbing into the chest and throat. A messy clinch is broken up by the ref and Mijares goes for a glove touch - Márquez nonverbally communicating the sentiment "kick rocks, bub". Busy work by Márquez, staying close and touching Mijares' body as much as he can since the head is proving elusive. Mijares circling wide and still peppering in pot shot counters, but Márquez is closing the gap and scoring, particularly with the hard line drive right that snaps Mijares' head back a few times. A terrific rally by Márquez, and he finally gets his longstanding wish: Mijares immobilized against the ropes. Márquez tears into him for a few moments. Mijares hunkers down low and punches his way out to center ring, where they nearly lock horns. José Guadalupe García implores both to watch their heads.

10-9 Márquez

57-56 Mijares


Goddamn it, kicking myself for never watching this until now. Why does nobody ever talk about this kickass fight?!


Round 7

Márquez is still ripping the body, but Mijares is holding his ground and hurling lefts behind the jab instead of leaving it hanging on its own. Mijares ducking and rising with either straight zaps on the nose or soaring overhand lefts splashing into Márquez's forehead. Good pair of uppercuts by Márquez at short range, followed by a stiff jab chasing Mijares out. Mijares then parries a Márquez jab and slices in a few of his own before tagging him with a left while turning him. BIG right hook by Mijares backing Márquez into the ropes. This is ****ing awesome stuff. Márquez spins his way off the ropes under fire, steadying himself with a palm on each of Mijares' shoulders. Márquez clinches, then explodes with a pair of looping rights.

10-9 Mijares

67-65 Mijares


Round 8

Márquez is beelining for Mijares and punching in singles, either high jabs or lunging right hand leads. Mijares carrying his arms low, jabbing off the lead right hip. Márquez reads that not many counters are coming his way so he starts to dive in with more combinations. Mijares still evading well, but continues to keep his fists mostly sheathed. Márquez the one making the fight in the first two minutes - but then Mijares comes alive with a series of right hooks and left hands just as the crowd is swelling to a fever pitch roar for Márquez. It's war! They're both swinging hard, and their arms get briefly entangled but they extricate themselves without the aid of José Guadalupe García. They're both eager to fight. Four punch combo by Márquez. Huge roundhouse lefts by Mijares. Márquez reluctantly giving ground before the bell.

10-9 Mijares, super close, almost 10-10... Márquez controlled more of it, but was more damaged in the last minute than Mijares was by him in the first two IMO...

77-74 Mijares


Round 9

Márquez ducks a jab. Mijares then changes levels and finds him with two while hopping on his toes in circles around him moving counter-clockwise. Mijares styling now. Márquez keeps swiveling to face him, but in no hurry to rush in and get countered by something dumb. Mijares blocks a right hand, but eats a stiff jab from Márquez crouching in close. Mijares bobs and weaves, then steps in with a two-piece. Mijares threading in his left, straight & looping, countering every time Márquez opens up. Márquez perhaps feeling a little overconfident with this now being fought at phonebooth range. Márquez scores an uppercut on the belt line and retracts both hands too low to defend. Mijares spots and immediately exploits the hole with a MONSTROUS roundhouse left that rocks Márquez to his core. Mijares opens up as Márquez slouches against the ropes and in comes José Guadalupe García with the save!

TKO9!


Judges' scorecards at time of stoppage:

Miguel Acuña 76-75 Márquez
Héctor Hernández Vilchis 77-74 Mijares
Barry Lindenman 77-74 Mijares

 

1. Rafa peaked at bantam, was still elite at super bantam, and never really belonged at feather IMO.
   
   
2. Mijares' ability to reinvent himself after disappointing results or slumps has always been impressive. Had a 1-2-1 stretch early in his career, then won 15 straight. Drew with Luis Maldondo, then won ten straight including his humbling of Jorge Arce. Lost three in a row against Darchinyan and Cermeño, and then rebounded with eleven wins in a row culminating in this one. The streak actually shoud have been even longer, as Victor Terrazas got a gift against him IMO. Even after LSC beat him up, Mijares went on one last 10-0 rampage.
   
   
3. This is a VERY slept on and underrated fight.

 

Right? Hearing that familiar voice saying "Tecate, round siete, regresamos..." gave me a Proustian brain-tickle.