Rafael Marquez vs. Israel Vazquez II

If you know someone who doesn't quite "get" boxing, or someone who thinks that MMA fights have all the action these days, do them a favor and sit them down in front of Marquez/Vazquez II - the exhilarating bout that took place on August 4th in Hidalgo, Texas. It's available On Demand on Showtime until September 3rd, and this is absolutely THE FIGHT that that will make believers out of anyone who has ever questioned the significance of professional boxing. This fight was unbelievable! Israel Vazquez reclaimed his Super Bantamweight title in spectacular fashion, as he traded punches with the man many consider to be pound-for-pound the best boxer in the ring, Rafael Marquez.

A little back-story: On the March 3rd, 2006 edition of Showtime Championship Boxing, IBF Bantamweight Champ Marquez gained a few pounds to challenge Vazquez for his WBC Super Bantamweight belt, and won it when Vazquez's corner threw in the towel after seven incredible rounds. During the fight Israel had been telling trainer Freddy Roach that he couldn't breathe, and it was later revealed that due to an internal blockage, Israel could only breathe at about a 10% capacity after round one. The fact that he went six more rounds in that condition still amazes me!

Post-fight with the victorious Israel Vazquez

But, as defending champ in the rematch, Rafael was out to prove that it wasn't Israel's breathing that led to the loss; rather it was the power and precision of his punches that made Israel give up the first time they met in the ring.  And as soon as the bell rang for round one in the rematch, Rafael went to work. Throughout the fight Rafael landed beautiful combos and some brutal blows that caused cuts over both of Israel's eyes. But Israel came to work that night, too and proved he's still got the heart of a champion. It was a phenomenal fight. This was hands-down the most exciting fight I've seen since joining Showtime Championship Boxing, which makes me absolutely giddy at the prospect of the rubber match!  You simply MUST SEE THIS FIGHT!!! It's already being hailed as the leading contender for Fight-Of-The-Year, so dial it up ON Demand and watch the sparks fly.

Israel Vazquez penetrates Rafael Marquez's defense.
Photo courtesy of Tom Casino (Showtime)

If you're heading to the Staples Center for our Pay-Per-View fight on September 8th, I'll see you there! It's Mayorga vs. Vargas, and if the punches flow even half as rapidly as the insults do, these guys should be trading blows nonstop from the word go. It should be quite a show in Hollywood!

Make sure you tune in to Showtime for our "September To Remember." We've got all kinds of great fight action on deck as we feature some big names in both boxing and MMA (Go Gina Carano!!).
Check out www.sho.com/site/sports for the full schedule.

Cindy Crawford: Meaningful Beauty

On a completely different note; I recently worked with super-model Cindy Crawford on a new infomercial in support of her skin care line, Meaningful Beauty. I've been using Cindy's products for six months and I love the results. She developed the line with the ultra-exclusive Parisian skin guru, Dr. Jean Louis Sebagh, and it's both effective and affordable.  Our infomercial isn't on the air quite yet, but you can learn more about Meaningful Beauty by checking out the web site MeaningfulBeauty.com.  And guys- it's not just for women!  There's no law that says you can't take an interest in keeping your skin healthy and younger-looking for as long as you can.

One more thing: for those of you who think models are always airbrushed within an inch of their lives take note- Cindy looks terrific in person!

Photos courtesy of MeaningfulBeauty.com

Brown University

I am featured in the latest issue of the Brown Alumni Monthly, my alma mater's magazine. It's a profile piece on why I'm loving life as part of the Showtime Championship Boxing team.

You can read the full article by clicking here.

Lou Ferrigno: Dancing with the Stars

My friend, Lou Ferrigno, is campaigning to join the next season of Dancing With the Stars.  Wouldn't it be great to see the original Incredible Hulk doing the Cha Cha? So get on the message boards at Dancing with the Stars and let them know YOU WANT LOU! For a peek at Lou's moves, check this out.

You'll definitely be able to see him in the new The Incredible Hulk movie- he just shot a cameo and he looks as amazing as ever. In real life, Lou has been working as a Los Angeles Reserve Deputy Sheriff and just graduated anti-terrorist and advanced weaponry training (see photo below with Sheriff Lee Baca). So now you really don't want to make him angry.