Israel Vazquez vs. Rafael Marquez IV: How Each Man Can Win

Israel "Magnifico" Vazquez

Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Resides: Huntington Park, California
Age: 32
Height: 5' 4 1/2"
Reach: 66 1/2"
Current World Titles Held: None
Former World Titles Held: Ring Magazine, WBC, IBF Super Bantamweight (122 lbs.)
Professional Record: 44-4, 32 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 8-1, 6 KOs
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 3-2
Record at 126 lbs.: 4-0, 1 KO

Notable Wins: SD12 Rafael Marquez III , TKO6 Rafael Marquez II, TKO3 Oscar Larios II
Notable Losses: RTD7 Rafael Marquez I, TKO12 Oscar Larios I, SD12 Marcos Licona

Rafael Marquez

Birthplace: Mexico City, Mexico
Resides: Mexico City, Mexico
Age: 35
Height: 5' 5"
Reach: 68 1/2"
Current World Titles Held: None
Former World Titles Held: Ring Magazine, WBC, IBF Super Bantamweight (122 lbs.)
Professional Record: 38-5, 34 KOs
Record in World Title Fights: 9-2, 7 KOs
Record in Fights Going 12 Rounds: 2-1
Record at 126 lbs.: 3-0, 3 KOs

Notable Wins: RTD7 Israel Vazquez I, TKO4 Silence Mabuza I, TKO8 Tim Austin
Notable Losses: SD12 Rafael Marquez III , TKO6 Rafael Marquez II, KO2 Genaro Garcia

Analysis:

The trilogy is a time-honored tradition in sports, movies and other forms of entertainment. Occasionally, though, fans clamor for something past a third installment.

Such is the case for Vazquez and Marquez, who find themselves stepping in for a fourth go-round in a series that can legitimately be called epic without risk of hyperbole. Both the second and third fights in their series were named Ring Magazine's Fight of the Year (in 2007 and 2008, respectively), and while most franchises are running out of steam by chapter four, this one has a good chance of providing a satisfying continuation.

If momentum means anything between two men who have given and taken so much punishment at each other's hands, it should lie with Vazquez.

Magnifico won the second and third fights against Marquez and had an easy tune-up win against Angel Priolo last October. Marquez has been inactive for nearly a year since knocking out Jose Mendoza in three rounds in May 2009.

This will be the first fight in the series contested at featherweight after both men campaigned at super bantamweight for the majority of their careers. The move up doesn't seem like an obvious advantage on either side, as Marquez has just a tiny edge in natural size and Vazquez is regarded as the harder pure puncher, though not by much.

Since each previous meeting between the two has qualified as a potentially career-shortening encounter, it's a fair question to wonder what, if anything, awaits the winner. Certainly no true boxing fan would begrudge the man that comes out on top for calling it a career, but he  may find the lure of big fights with the likes of Juan Manuel Lopez or Yuriorkis Gamboa reason to stick around.

One thing is certain: With two boxers this evenly matched in terms of skill, power and guts, this is one sequel that shouldn't disappoint.

Vazquez's Winning Strategy: Go for an Early Win

While everyone tuning in on Saturday would be thrilled if the fight went the distance and provided thrills all along the way, Vazquez has historically had a lot of success in the first half of his bouts. That's been true even against Marquez, who he knocked down in the third round of their first fight and stopped in the sixth round of the rematch.

Going to the cards also doesn't seem to be in Magnifico's best interest, as he was behind on all three cards when his broken nose forced him to retire in his lone loss to Marquez and barely squeaked out a split decision in the tiebreaker when his foe was docked a point for a low blow in Round 10 and knocked down in the fight's final minute.

Vazquez also has a tendency to suffer cuts, so a fight that turned into a brawl sooner rather than later should favor him.

There's also the small matter of self-preservation. Vazquez is three years younger than his opponent but has boxed 86 more professional rounds, many of the brutal variety.

If Magnifico has any thoughts of staying in the game and capitalizing on the higher profile this series has given him, he'd be much better off if he found a way to make the final chapter in this saga the shortest one.

Marquez's Winning Strategy: Resist the Urge to Brawl... If Possible

When you rack up 34 knockouts in your first 38 career wins, you don't usually think about out-pointing the man across the ring. But when you are the brother of Juan Manuel Marquez and have proved to have some of the same talent, that's at least an option available to you.

That may be one worth exploring for Marquez, who has the more complete set of fundamentals in this clash and would stand most to benefit from a more tactical fourth bout. He's also shown the willingness to throw caution to the wind that Mexican fans love to see from their champions, which is admirable but not necessarily wise against Vazquez.

It would be a shocker if this fight didn't feature moments when both men decide to stand and trade, but the fewer of those, the better for Marquez. That's especially true when you consider that he's only been able to knock down Magnifico once in 25 rounds.

Marquez doesn't have to abandon brawling altogether, but if he lowers the amount of it in relation to boxing, he's got an improved chance of evening this series out at two wins apiece.

Nick Tylwalk is the editor and co-founder of BoxingWatchers.com . Follow his Twitter feed @Nick_Tylwalk or the site's feed @boxing_watchers .