When Rafael Marquez and Israel Vasquez squared off in March for Vasquez' Ring magazine 122 pound title, the crowd was deprived of what was shaping up to be a classic when Vasquez, troubled by a broken nose suffered in the first round, failed to come out for the eighth. Although he knocked Marquez down earlier in the fight and had him seriously hurt, Vasquez' inability to fight due to the excruciating pain left him with no choice but to quit and give up his title. Saturday night at the Dodge Arena in Hidalgo, Texas, Vasquez gets an opportunity to regain his belt and prove that he, not Marquez, is the better man.

The junior lightweight division has experienced some historic encounters, including the first Barrera-Morales. If Marquez-Vasquez II--which airs on Showtime around the same time HBO will be providing Morales-Diaz--is as electrifying as their first fight, a rubber match is all but inevitable. But don't count on it. Although Vasquez is a highly skilled and dangerous fighter, especially when he is hurt--just ask Marquez and Jhonny Gonzalez, who Vasquez stopped in dramatic fashion in the tenth round of their 2006 fight after falling behind on the cards--he appears to be past his prime. Freddie Roach, who trained Vasquez for the first fight with Marquez, has noticed Vasquez is starting to slur his speech and therefore refuses to be associated with the rematch. Vasquez, 41-4 (30), has an impressive KO ratio and, at 30, is two years younger than his opponent. But Vasquez hasn't fought the calibre of opponents that Marquez has, and was stopped by Oscar Larios in 2002 before exacting revenge in 2005 with a third round stoppage. While Vasquez has reached a plateau, Marquez appears to be just warming up.

Marquez, 37-3 (33), at 32, is not a young fighter for 122 lbs. And all three of his losses came by stoppage. But Marquez realizes that his time to shine is now, having been mismanaged--along with his brother Juan Manuel--for the better part of their careers. Marquez' resume is impressive, with victories over Silence Mabuza, Mark Johnson, Tim Austin, and Vasquez. He is a monstrous puncher, perhaps the best between 122 and 126, and his technical skills are sound. In the first fight, Marquez outboxed Vasquez from long distance, using a stiff jab and hard straight right that landed all night. He countered effectively, and was the more creative fighter that night. There is little reason to believe that the outcome will be different this time.

Marquez has a questionable chin, and could possibly suffer another knockdown. But Vasquez is inconsistent even in victory, and even if he repeats his courageous performance of five months ago, it may not be enough. Which means Marquez-Vasquez II promises more fireworks.

Prediction: Marquez KO 5