Whats up with Israel Vasquez?

Fighting early next year most likely.

 

I heard their are talks about him fighting Juan Manuel Lopez, nothing official.

 

yep. izzy stated he needed a rest and time with family. much deserved.

 

This article didn't come out too long ago. talks about my dad and Vazquez
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Israel Vazquez was part of the 2007 Yahoo! Sports Fight of the Year and it will take something fairly dramatic to prevent him from being part of a 2008 winner as well.

His March 1 victory over Rafael Marquez in Carson, Calif., was the single finest fight in boxing since the epic lightweight war in 2005 between Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo.

It was the fourth consecutive time Vazquez had engaged in a bout that was something out of a “Rocky” movie. His Sept. 16, 2006, comeback victory over Jhonny Gonzalez was rousing enough in and of itself, but it looked like pattycakes in comparison to his three fights with Marquez.

“We gave the people something to holler about, didn’t we?” Vazquez asked, chuckling, on Wednesday.

But what Vazquez and his manager, Frank Espinoza, have given the world of boxing in the seven months since that bout is a textbook on the way to conduct oneself in the most brutal of sports.

The natural tendency after a trilogy like Vazquez-Marquez would be to capitalize quickly and make as much money as possible.

And, given the risks involved in boxing, it’s an understandable position to take.

But it would also be the incorrect position to take.

Thankfully for Vazquez, Espinoza understood that. Vazquez is fortunate that he has a manager who cares more about him than about his percentage. He’s fortunate that Espinoza wants to be able to pick up a phone 15 years from now, long after Vazquez’s fighting career is over, and have a normal conversation with him.

And Espinoza knew that after the physical grind Vazquez had endured through the fight with Gonzalez and the three fights with Marquez, the only prescription was rest.

“When you’re in this business, you can’t be concerned with money first; you have to be concerned with the well-being of your fighter,” said Espinoza, a lifelong boxing fan who owns a string of retail stores throughout California. “At least that’s how I am. Maybe I’m different because I don’t live off boxing. I care about my fighters like they are a part of my family. They know the way I am. Israel has been with me a long time. He knows. He knows that I could care less about the money. I care about him, the man.”

Fighters sometimes need to be saved from themselves, or from those around them who want to profit from their bravery. After the jaw-dropping performances Vazquez had put on, he could have all but named his price for his next fight.

He was a hot ticket. It was the same situation that Corrales and Castillo found themselves in after that wild fight in 2005.

In the euphoria of the post-fight news conference, all the talk was of a rematch. When Corrales’ trainer, Joe Goossen, sounded warning signs and suggested anyone who wanted a fast rematch was sadistic, most of the house cut dirty looks toward Goossen.

With big money on the line, Goossen’s concerns were ignored, even though he was completely correct. And neither Corrales nor Castillo were ever close to the same again.

The battle that night had been so brutal, their bodies needed at least nine months, if not a year, away from all contact in order to recover. Three months later, both men were back in the gym sparring and preparing for a rematch.

Espinoza wasn’t about to let Vazquez even think of stepping inside of a gym, let alone pull a glove over his hand.

“He’s a young guy with a wife and a family and he needs to enjoy them and they need to enjoy him and enjoy life together,” Espinoza said. “Maybe at the end of the year, in late November, December, he can go into the gym and do some exercises and maybe hit the bag, real light stuff. But I want him away from a fight for 12 months, maybe 13. That would be about right.”

Vazquez is a competitor and admits he’s had the urge to get back at it. Had he been under the stewardship of another manager, he might now find himself in position to be Fighter of the Year, since there would have been so many quality fights at super bantamweight to take.

He could have fought WBO champion Juan Manuel Lopez or WBA champion Celestino Caballero or IBF champ Steve Molitor.

A win or two over those men, combined with the win over Marquez, would have made him a leading candidate for Fighter of the Year.

As it is, he has no shot at such an award, but the affable Vazquez hardly raises a fuss. He knows Espinoza’s track record and he knows that Espinoza not only has a shrewd mind for picking the best fights, but also for when to pull back.

“I’m a fighter and I believe I’m a brave fighter,” he said. “I’ll fight (ex-heavyweight champion Mike) Tyson if it makes sense economically. The good thing for me is having someone like Frank, who I know wants what is best for me. I trust him. I trust his judgment and his instincts. If he says take the time off, there is a good reason for taking the time off.”

When Vazquez returns in late winter or early spring in 2009, many fans will be clamoring for him to fight Marquez a fourth time. And while Vazquez helpfully says, “Of course,” he’d fight Marquez again, Espinoza sounded a more cautious tone.

It doesn’t make sense to continue to face the same guy, he said. He can fight other fighters and then come back for that fourth fight. Jorge Arce, the colorful former light flyweight and flyweight champion, has called out Vazquez several times and Espinoza said he’ll try to make that fight.

But like a bottle of wine, he won’t pop the cork until the time is right.

“If you take care of your fighters and you pay attention to them, they’re going to be all right,” Espinoza said. “I never want my fighters to get to that point where they become an opponent and are out there collecting paydays. I told (ex-world champion) Martin Castillo just recently he didn’t need to be doing this any more.

“This kid, I think the world of him. I love watching him fight. It brings joy to me to see him in that ring. But you know what? Right now, it’s not the right time for him to be there. He’ll be there when the time is right and now is not that time.” yahoo sports. kevin iole

 

GOOD READ . . . thanks for the article. :good

 

Yeah, the article is right on the mark. These last four fights have been absolutely brutal. Look what happened to Morales after Chavez, Hernandez, Barrera, and Pacquiao within the span of a year...burnt out. Same thing would happen with Israel here if he didn't have a good manager like Espinoza.

 

Also with Molitor/Caballero next month it would be a good way of perhaps finding the best opponent for him.... The winner of that fight would put them in line for Vasquez...