Felix Alvarado mashes up overmatched Israel Vazquez
Unsurprisingly, IBF light flyweight champion Felix “El Gemelo” Alvarado (37-2, 32 KO’s) made easy work of his latest opponent. Alvarado stopped the well overmatched Israel “El Heredero” Vazquez (10-5-2, 7 KO’s) in the first round of their affair. The IBF title that he initially captured in his October 20, 2018 dustup with Randy Petalcorin was not on the line. This is because Vazquez, who was a late replacement, was not ranked high enough to challenge for it.
El Gemelo is now on a nineteen-fight win streak. This streak was launched after his back-to-back losses to then WBA light flyweight champion Kazuto Ioka, on December 31, 2013, and Juan Carlos Reveco on June 6, 2014. Yet, since those sobering defeats, the heavy-handed Nicaraguan, who is signed to Golden Boy promotions, has been a one-man wrecking machine. This is why it was not so hard to foresee him tearing through Vazquez, who was facing his best competition to date.
THROW IN THE TOWEL
If we can say anything about Vazquez, the man had heart. Beyond that, he made for a real nifty and reliable punching bag! For the first minute of the opening round, the two went straight at one another with reckless abandon. Vazquez even scored a meaningful straight right-hand. Yet, around 60 seconds in, Alvarado began finding his range.
More than any other shot, his vicious and debilitating left hook to the body couldn’t miss. As El Gemelo turned up the heat and volume of punches, Vazquez proved he had no defensive tricks up his sleeve. Even worse, every time he tried to clinch, Alvarado easily shook him off. Left with no other recourse, Vazquez simply manned up and absorbed a beating.
Then, in the closing moments of the period, El Gemelo flattened his beleaguered foe with a fight-ending right hook. Vazquez beat the count but referee Luis Pabon quickly called it off. With the solid performance, Alvarado may to look for a unification with WBO champion Elwin Soto next.
By: Bakari Simpson
