Marquez levels the score

Rafael Marquez stopped Israel Vazquez in three rounds in their fourth meeting in Los Angeles.

Vazquez stopped in fourth meeting of old foes

Rafael Marquez stopped Israel Vazquez in three rounds in Los Angeles on Saturday night to level the score in their epic ring rivalry. Marquez cut Vazquez badly in their fourth meeting and had his opponent on the brink of a second knockdown when the bout was stopped in Staples Center. Vazquez suffered a horrendous cut near his left eye in the opening round, and was cut near his right eye in the third. The bout probably brings to an end one of the most brutal rivalries of recent years. The pair fought three times in 2007 and 2008 - with two of the bouts being voted Fight Of The Year by Ring magazine. Both took a long period off after the third bout - Vazquez because of a serious eye injury. He had won the second and third bouts to lead the series 2-1, but many pundits saw him as the more damaged by the trilogy. And so it proved on Saturday night as Marquez dominated to even the score. On the undercard, Yonnhy Perez retained his IBF bantamweight title in a majority draw against Abner Mares.