BOXING: MARQUEZ STYMIES VAZQUEZ BROKEN NOSE IS DECIDING FACTOR.

Byline: Staff and Wire Serices

After the seventh round of Saturday's World Boxing Council super bantamweight title fight at Home Depot Center in Carson, Israel Vazquez told his trainer, Freddie Roach, that he could not continue because he could not breathe thanks to a broken nose he suffered in the first round.

Suddenly, a bloodied Vazquez walked over to Rafael Marquez, waving his arms as if to say, "No mas."

Marquez then was hoisted on the shoulders of one of his cornermen and carried around the ring in celebration.

The longtime bantamweight champion from Mexico City became a super bantamweight champion with a seventh-round technical knockout in front of an announced crowd of 5,155.

Vazquez, 29, of Huntington Park via Mexico City, was attempting to make his third successful title defense. He was trailing by two points on two cards at the time he retired; the other scorecard was even.

"I couldn't breathe properly throughout the rounds," said Vazquez, who is 41-4. "When I came back to my corner (after the seventh round), I could breathe through my mouth, but I couldn't breathe through my nose. So I told Freddie, 'This is it.' I thought I was winning the fight. He hits very hard. I was taking a lot of shots because I couldn't breathe."

Marquez was fighting for the first time at 122 pounds. It didn't appear he had any trouble carrying his tremendous power up a weight class.

"I proved I am the best champion," said Marquez, who is 37-3 with 33 knockouts. "He is a great champion. He hits so hard. He is a great champion, and he deserves a rematch."

Vic Darchinyan (28-0) retained his International Boxing Federation flyweight title with a 12th-round technical knockout of Victor Burgos (39-15-3) on the undercard. Referee Jon Schorle stopped the fight at 1:27 of the final round.

-- Robert Morales

Also: Miguel Cotto (29-0, 23 KOs) held on to his WBA welterweight title after beating Oktay Urkal (38-4, 11 KOs) by technical knockout. Referee Luis Pabon stopped the match at 1:01 of the 11th round after Pabon hit Urkal with his second point deduction of the match for a head butt in San Juan, Puerto Rico. ... Yohannes Christian John 39-1-0 retained his WBA featherweight title with a unanimous decision over Jose "Cheo" Rojas (23-1-6) in Jakarta, Indonesia. ... Alejandro Berrio (26-4, 25 KO) won the vacant IBF super middleweight title, stopping Robert Stieglitz (29-1) in the third round at Rostock, Germany.

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Photo:

Rafael Marquez, left, delivers a left to the face of Israel Vasquez during Saturday's fight at Home Depot Center. Marquez won the fight with a seventh-round TKO.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News