Marquez ends the fourth within three

LOS ANGELES – In the end, a fourth time meant most of the punches and all of the momentum were there for Rafael Marquez.

For Israel Vazquez, there was only blood, which flowed like tears from deep wounds near both eyes.
For their memorable series, it was the fourth and probably the final time. A fifth isn’t necessary, although both said they would agree to another chapter if the fans asked for one.

If the fans don’t demand another encore, however, the end came Saturday night at Staples Center with two victories for each. The fourth, this time at featherweight, belonged to Marquez (38-6, 35 KOs) for nearly three full rounds of one-sided violence for which Vazquez (44-5, 33 KOs) simply had no counter.

Before opening bell, the theory was that Marquez would win, outlast, Vazquez because he had endured less damage in the first three fights. Only the outlast part was wrong, horribly wrong. Long-term damage to Vazquez erupted quickly.

A sharply-thrown right, laser-like in accuracy and effect, from Marquez opened up a huge cut above Vazquez’ left eye at the end of the first. Throughout the second, Vazquez struggled to see through the flood of blood that collected like a pool in an already scarred eye that had been damaged in his prior fights with Marquez.

“That was the plan,’’ Marquez said. “Go directly to the eyes.’’

Only the sight of blood, his own, told Vazquez that he was in trouble

“He hit me with a good shot and my eye just opened,’’ said Vazquez, whose cut-man, Miguel Diaz,said the cut was so deep that he could see bone.

After the second, Marquez knew he was close to finishing the fight and probably the rivalry with his own kind punctuation. Before heading to his corner before the start of the third, he stopped along the ropes and said something to his management team, Gary Shaw and Fernando Beltran. But Shaw and Beltran didn’t have to look in Marquez’ eyes to know what was about to happen. They could see it in Vazquez’s eye.

In the third round, a clash of heads, a butt, wounded Vazquez above his right eye. More blood flowed He went down to one knee, as if to forestall the inevitable. Moments later, referee Raul Caiz, Jr. stepped in, ending it and perhaps the series with a stoppage at 1:33 of the third.

Before Marquez’ quick stoppage of his old rival, Yhonny Perez and Abner Mares put together a performance that would have been worth a rematch regardless of the scores on the judges’ cards. Their brilliance through 12 rounds screamed for an encore. So did the fans. As it turned out, a rematch was – is – in the cards. The judges virtually guaranteed with a majority draw.

Gwen Adair of Beverly Hills, Calif., and Regina Williams of Atlantic City, N.J., each scored it 114-114. Marty Denkin of of West Covina, Calif., gave it to Mares, 115-113.

“I’m really sad,’’ said Mares (20-0-1, 13 KOs), who grew up in Southern California and was the crowd favorite. “I thought I won the fight and I’m not the only who thought that.’’

In the twelfth and final round, It looked as if Mares was close to knocking out Perez (20-0-1, 14 KOs), a Colombian and the International Boxing Federation’s bantamweight champion. Mares rocked Perez with a beautifully-executed, left-right combination.

During the middle rounds, however, Mares backpedaled as though he was wary of Perez’s power, which was displayed with an uppercut that hurt Mares in the third. Mares on the run angered fans, who booed him. But he quickly won them back over in the later rounds when the two fighters switched styles. Mares moved forward and Perez began to back away.

“I won this fight,’’ said Perez, who waved a Colombian flag at the predominantly Mexican and Mexican-American crowd after the final bell. “It was not a draw. I’m willing to fight a rematch. But it’s up to my promoters.”

There’s not much to decide. Promoters do more than count. They can read too. They know what’s in the cards.

Off TV, but on the undercard:
The best came from Los Angeles junior-middleweight Rodrigo Garcia (7-0, 5 KOs), whose hands were as heavy as they were unstoppable for the second third and fourth rounds in a stubborn assault that left Taronze Washington (14-13, 7 KOS) of Dallas with a bloody nose and a loss by unanimous decision.

The rest: Unbeaten junior-lightweight Ronny Rios (11-, 5 KOs) of Santa Ana, Calif., got the show started with unanimous decision over Guadalupe De Leon (8-11, 4 KOs) of Weslaco, Tex., hours before Vazquez and Marquez turned their trilogy into a four-peat. Rios scored in the early moments with sharp combinations, then sustained his pace and advantage.

And in a junior welterweight bout, Carlos Molina (12-0, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles threw the sharper punches for a unanimous decision over Mexican Humberto Tapia (15-13-1, 8 KOs).