Israel Vázquez facts for kids

Israel Vázquez Castañeda (born December 25, 1977 – died December 2024) was a famous Mexican professional boxer. He was known as Magnifico, which means "Magnificent". He competed in boxing from 1995 to 2010. Israel Vázquez was a world champion three times in the super bantamweight division. He held titles from important boxing organizations like the IBF and the WBC. He also held The Ring magazine's title twice. Vázquez is especially remembered for his exciting series of four fights against another great Mexican boxer, Rafael Márquez. Sadly, Israel Vázquez passed away from cancer in December 2024 at the age of 46.

Israel Vázquez's Boxing Journey

Israel Vázquez started his professional boxing career in 1995 when he was just 17 years old. He won his first nine fights by knocking out his opponents! He mostly fought in the United States in the junior featherweight division. He beat 11 more boxers, including a tough fighter named Óscar Larios.

In 2002, Vázquez had a rematch with Óscar Larios for a WBC title. This time, Larios won the fight. But Vázquez didn't give up! He came back strong, winning several more fights.

Becoming a World Champion

In 2004, Israel Vázquez won his first major world title. He became the IBF Junior Featherweight champion by defeating Jose Luis Valbuena. He successfully defended this title once.

In 2005, Vázquez decided to challenge Óscar Larios again for the WBC title. This was their third fight! Vázquez won this exciting match by a technical knockout in the third round. The fight was stopped because Larios had a big cut over his eye. With this win, Vázquez became both the WBC and The Ring Junior Featherweight champion.

He continued to defend his titles, beating strong opponents like Ivan Hernández in 2006. Later that year, he faced Jhonny González. Vázquez was knocked down twice in that fight, but he showed incredible courage. He fought back and won the match in the tenth round!

The Famous Fights with Rafael Márquez

One of the most memorable parts of Israel Vázquez's career was his series of four fights against Rafael Márquez. These fights were incredibly exciting and are considered some of the best in recent boxing history.

First Fight: March 2007

In their first match in March 2007, Vázquez lost his title to Márquez. Vázquez had breathing problems because of a broken nose and had to stop fighting after the seventh round.

Second Fight: August 2007

Just a few months later, in August 2007, Vázquez got his chance for revenge. He fought Márquez again and won back his titles! Even though Vázquez got cuts over both of his eyes, he knocked out Márquez in the sixth round. This fight was so exciting that The Ring magazine named it the "Fight of the Year" for 2007. The third round of this fight was also named "Round of the Year."

Third Fight: March 2008

Vázquez and Márquez met for a third time in March 2008. This was another amazing fight! Vázquez was knocked down in the fourth round, but he got back up and won by a split decision. This means some judges thought he won, and others thought Márquez won, but more judges picked Vázquez. This fight was also named "Fight of the Year" for 2008 by The Ring magazine. Many boxing fans call the Vázquez vs. Márquez series one of the best boxing rivalries ever.

Injury and Fourth Fight

After his third fight with Márquez, Israel Vázquez had a serious eye injury called a detached retina. Because of this, he couldn't defend his WBC title, and it was taken away from him in December 2008. After three surgeries, he was finally cleared to train again in May 2009.

Vázquez and Márquez fought for a fourth time in May 2010. This time, they fought in a heavier division called Featherweight. Márquez won this final match by a knockout in the third round, making their series tied with two wins for each boxer. After this fight, many people felt it was time for Vázquez to retire, and it turned out to be his last professional fight.

Personal Life

In November 2024, Israel Vázquez was diagnosed with stage 4 sarcoma, which is a type of cancer. He passed away a month later.

See also

In Spanish: Israel Vázquez para niños

• List of super bantamweight boxing champions
• List of WBC world champions
• List of IBF world champions
• List of Mexican boxing world champions