Rafael Márquez (boxer)
Rafael Márquez Méndez ( born March 25, 1975 in Mexico City, Mexico) is a Mexican boxer. He is the younger brother of Juan Manuel Márquez.
Professional career
Márquez 1995 professional bantamweight and punched in his debut against world class man Victor Rabanales. The former WBC titlist Rabanales was with at that time already 55 completed battles non- experienced and sat so through with a knockout victory in the eighth round. To what extent this is actually Márquez's first professional fight was or whether the fight record is incomplete, difficult to verify. Anyway, it's very unusual to boxing as a debutant against the world class and then even over a relatively long distance of eight rounds.
In 1998 and 2000 he lost twice early, this time against completely unknown opponents. He did, however, attention to himself by a very high for this low weight class KO ratio. He is a counter- boxer, his greatest weapon is the right hand shock.
When he in 2001 against the highly respected U.S. southpaw Marc Johnson, balance sheet 40-1, took, he was in no independent world ranking top 10 and was considered the underdog. But supported by two point deductions from Johnson he could win just by points. In the immediately scheduled rematch he even won by KO
He qualified for a title fight the IBF Association on 15 February 2003 against the highly traded and undefeated Tim Austin. Marquez won the fight, and thus the title on points laid back, with a technical knockout in the eighth round.
Since then, he was IBF world champion and defended the title seven times successfully. But although he is expected by Ring Magazine at the best boxers, " Pound for pound ," he is not a crowd puller because the opponents were considered too weak in the weight class.
On 3 March 2007, he boxed against his hard beating compatriot Israel Vazquez in the half- featherweight and won his first fight in this weight class the WBC title. Although he was knocked to the ground, but he finally was able to prevail because Vázquez gave up the fight after the seventh round because of breathing problems as a result of nasal fracture. His Bantamweight title he gave to a few days after winning the title. Then a direct rematch against Vázquez was agreed that he spent five months later by technical knockout lost in the sixth round. This was followed in March 2008, a third meeting between Marquez and Vazquez. This fight went the full distance of twelve rounds and was won by a narrow points victory by Vázquez.
Due to the still existing interest in this duel, then a fourth fight should be organized, which, however, ' delayed due to injuries Vázquez. Vázquez had suffered, among other things Netzhautablöhsung that required surgery. So Márquez remained longer time inactive, in 2009, he played only one kurzrundigen structure struggle. The fourth encounter with Vázquez finally took place in May 2010 and was of Marquez by technical knockout won in the sixth round.
On November 6, 2010, he boxed against the undefeated Juan Manuel Lopez for the WBO world champion featherweight title, but lost by technical knockout in the 8th round.