Rafael Marquez took the WBC super bantamweight crown from Israel Vazquez when Vazquez had to quit after seven rounds because of a broken nose on Saturday.
Marquez landed a straight right in the first round that broke Vazquez’s nose and buckled the champion’s knees momentarily.
Although he was having difficulty breathing, Vasquez caught Marquez with a left uppercut to knock him down in the third round.
Vazquez told cornerman Freddie Roach after the seventh that he could not breathe at all through his nose, so Roach informed referee Raul Caiz and he ended it.
Mexico’s Marquez (37-3, 33 knockouts) was ahead on two of the three judges’ cards at the finish.
Vazquez, who was born in Mexico City and lives in Los Angeles, was 41-4, with 31 knockouts.
Victor Burgos, stopped by IBF champion Vic Darchinyan in the 12th round of their flyweight title bout, was taken to a hospital for precautionary tests, ring physician Paul Wallace said.
Wallace said Burgos’ vital signs were normal, but that ”We didn’t like the way he was responding.”
The doctor said he grew concerned when Burgos slumped on his stool in the corner after the bout, but that the fighter was conscious at the end of the fight and still conscious when he was taken to the hospital.
Burgos’ knees were wobbly and he was reeling around the ring and couldn’t defend himself, so referee John Schorle stopped the fight at 1:27 of the 12th.
Darchinyan ran his record to 28-0 with his 22nd knockout. He dominated the bout with his powerful left hooks and uppercuts, losing only one round on just one of the three judges’ cards.
Darchinyan rocked Burgos with a left in the second round, and Burgos sank to his knees but got up at the count of five.
Darchinyan was from Armenia but fights out of Sydney, Australia.
Burgos was from Mexico, and lowered his record to 39-15-3. – Sapa-AP