VAZQUEZ PROVING HE'S GOLDEN.

Byline: ROBERT MORALES

BOXING

Israel Vazquez has come a long way since being stopped by Oscar Larios in the 12th round of a fight for the World Boxing Council super bantamweight interim title in May 2002.

At that point, it appeared Vazquez might be just another one of those borderline world-class fighters who would never win a major championship.

Vazquez, however, has gone 9-0 with seven knockouts since that setback, and today he is considered one of boxing's most respected champions.

In his fourth fight after the loss to Larios, Vazquez won the vacant International Boxing Federation super bantamweight belt with a 12th-round technical knockout of Jose Luis Valbuena.

After two defenses, Vazquez took on Larios again and stopped him in the third round to take Larios' WBC super bantamweight title.

Vazquez has defended that belt twice and will make a third defense tonight when he squares off with Rafael Marquez at Home Depot Center in Carson. Showtime will televise.

When Vazquez defeated Valbuena in March 2004 at the Olympic Auditorium, he became the first world champion under Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions banner. He also became Mexico's 100th world champion.

"We have basically taken him, I think, from being a champion to a star," said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy. "And I think if he is going to go and win against Rafael Marquez, then I think he is on the road to being a superstar.

"When the door is open, he knows how to walk through and take care of business in the ring."

Vazquez actually left Golden Boy for a short time and signed with Sycuan Ringside Promotions. Vazquez has since re-signed with Golden Boy, and he is now co-promoted by the two companies.

Vazquez, 29, of Huntington Park via Mexico City, remembers when few gave him a chance to make something out of his prize-fighting career.

"At the beginning, nobody believed in me," he said. "And I tried to prove little by little that I could become a good fighter."

Some believe Vazquez (41-3, 30 KOs) is better than good. His manager, Frank Espinoza of West Covina, has had his share of world-class fighters. One of them is Martin Castillo, who recently lost his World Boxing Association super flyweight title.

Castillo is very talented, but Espinoza said Vazquez is the best fighter he has ever managed.

"He has been the most surprising," Espinoza said. "People never really thought that he had (the goods). I always felt confident in him, but he has showed me even more, that he has the hunger and he wants to accomplish something."

Marquez, a longtime bantamweight champion who is moving up in weight, is ranked in the top half of most respected top-10 pound-for-pound polls. Should Vazquez defeat him, it would go a long way in getting Vazquez the superstar status Schaefer speaks of.

Vazquez also wants to leave his stamp in other weight classes.

"My manager, Frank Espinoza, and I have been talking about moving up in weight and it's something that has been on our minds lately," Vazquez said. "But it is something that I am going to take slowly. I want to say that I do want a shot at Manny (Pacquiao) and I do want a shot at (Marco Antonio) Barrera."

Keep in mind that Vazquez did not have to take this fight with Marquez, who is 36-3 with 32 knockouts. A lot of champions would have avoided an opponent like Marquez, an absolute vicious puncher. But Vazquez has never been into ducking anyone.

When he says he wants to move up in weight and fight the likes of super featherweight stars such as Pacquiao and Barrera, he means it.

"Israel and I know that if you want to be great, you have to fight the best," Espinoza said.

Fortunately for Vazquez, he will have his trainer, Freddie Roach, in his corner tonight. Roach is training De La Hoya for his May5 mega fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in Las Vegas. Originally, the entire De La Hoya camp was supposed to leave Thursday to begin training in Puerto Rico today. But De La Hoya said Wednesday at a Hollywood news conference that he will allow Roach to stay behind an extra couple of days to work Vazquez's corner.

Move up doesn't faze Marquez

Rafael Marquez has doled out a lot of pain over his terrific career, having knocked out 32 opponents while compiling a record of 36-3. He is 8-0 in world title fights.

But that damage has been done in the bantamweight division. Marquez will move up in weight tonight to challenge Israel Vazquez for his World Boxing Council super bantamweight belt at Home Depot Center in Carson. When the opening bell rings, an all-out assault by the Mexican fighters is expected.

So it won't take long to ascertain whether Marquez brought his tremendous punching power up a weight class.

"The four-pound difference does not do anything to me," said Marquez, 31, of Mexico City. "I feel stronger, actually. I wanted to move up a long time ago. I do not feel any disadvantages moving up to 122.

"I am strong and I am a great fighter. So why should I feel that way?"

Marquez won the International Boxing Federation bantamweight championship with an eighth-round technical knockout of Tim Austin in February 2003. He made seven successful defenses, five by knockout. Now, he not only is moving up to super bantamweight, he is taking on the best fighter in the world in that division. Thus all the questions about how he will fare at the higher weight. It seems to have been a theme at news conferences and conference calls promoting the fight.

"It was my decision to move to 122, so I will be well-prepared," Marquez said.

He had better be, because Vazquez is coming to rumble.

"He is going to have to deal with fighting me," said Vazquez, who is 41-3 with 30 knockouts. "I am a natural 122-pounder. He has never had to do that before. So I think that will be the biggest obstacle or problem facing him."

A lot has been said about this matchup. Some experts say they believe it has fight of the year potential. Gary Shaw, who promotes Marquez, said this is the type of fight in which there will be no loser because it pits the best 118-pounder in the world against the best 122-pounder.

One thing's for sure: it will be the 77th world championship fight between two Mexican nationals.

Doors open at 3:30 p.m. The first fight is scheduled for 4 p.m.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1) Israel Vazquez, left, throws a punch at Oscar Larios before winning the title bout in 2005.

Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

(2) Rafael Marquez won the IBF bantamweight title in 2004 in Las Vegas.

Al Bello/Getty Images

Box:

Etc.