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WOO-HOO!!! Vazquez-Marquez Headed to Home Depot Center
By Steve Kim (Feb 4, 2007) Photo: German Villasenor

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The highly anticipated matchup between the world’s best bantamweight, Rafael Marquez and the world’s best jr. featherweight, Israel Vazquez on March 3rd (to be televised by Showtime) has finally found a home. As it will be taking place at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California according to Gary Shaw.

In the immortal words of one Homer J. Simpson: "WOO-HOO!!!" (And yes, I'm speaking as a very, very biased Angelino, so you'll have to indulge me, here.)

"There was a lot of pressure from the fans to try to keep it in California and the L.A. area," Shaw would tell Maxboxing. "So we worked hard and worked with Scott Woodworth and Jim Hunter of Sycuan Ringside Promotions. Jim and I spoke and called Dan Beckerman (of AEG, which runs the venue) and Dan loved the fight and that's how it got done."

There had been concerns that it could rain on that date. But hey, as Tony, Toni, Tone once famously uttered: It never rains in Southern California. And folks, even if it does, bring an umbrella. (Remember that scene in 'Caddyshack'- and if you haven't seen it, please stop reading, you're not the type of audience I want- when that priest tried to get in a quick round in as a monsoon was coming down on him? Well, that'll be me that night if Mother Nature interferes.)

Venues in Texas and Arizona, which have sizable Latino populations, had been discussed but the fight belonged in So Cal.

"Oh, absolutely," agreed Shaw," I mean, to me this is a L.A. fight. It's big, it's a fight with two world titlists in a fight, that the question isn't if the over/under is 12 rounds or not, it's who goes down first."

Or perhaps last.

With Shaw, the Sycuans and Golden Boy Promotions all involved in this promotion, it may have hindered the ability to come up with a venue.

"You have three different promoters and I only have 50-percent of the deal," said Shaw. "They have the other 50-percent of the deal and I think you'd have to ask each one if they were cooperating with the other."

With only about a month to go, is there enough time to promote this event properly and move tickets?

"We'll have to," states Shaw, without hesitation. "I believe that once we announce it and once we put it on sale- which hopefully we'll be right around Tuesday- I believe the fight fans will see a great fight and they know a great fight when they hear about it and obviously will get the tickets and I'm going to price them so the average fan can get there and enjoy the night."