Q&A with Raul Marquez - Part 1

Canvaswarriors.com editor John Cannon sat down with former IBF Light Middleweight Champion Raul Marquez Friday afternoon at Buffalo Wild Wings in McAllen. Marquez will be the color commentator for Fox Sports en Espanol during the “Super Brawl Saturday Night” show as a part of Top Rank Boxing and Tecate at the McAllen Convention Center. This is part one of a two-part segment on Marquez’s career both in and out of the ring.

 

A: First off John, it is a pleasure to be back in the Rio Grande Valley and many people may not know this but I was born in Valle Hermoso, Tamaulipas by a midwife. Also, I have family in the Valley and my wife was from here as well. Anyway, to answer your question. It all started with my dad being a huge boxing fan and he actually did a little street boxing back in the day. We ended up moving to Chicago where we were able to get our green card. Finally we settled in Houston and my dad took me to a gym to get me started in my boxing career. I started winning a few tournaments and titles as a youngster and eventually made the 1992 U.S. Olympic team. I ended up losing in the quarterfinals, and then ended up turning pro.

 

A: Oh yes, no doubt. It was a very memorable experience. I was actually on the team with the likes of Chris Byrd, Sergio Reyes, Tim Austin, Larry Donald, Vernon Forrest, Montell Griffith and Oscar De La Hoya, who was my roommate. All of these guys were well known fighters and I was honored to be able to be on the same squad as they were.

 

A: First off let me tell you he came from a poor family and it is just amazing what he accomplished in his boxing career and as a person. As for being his roommate, Oscar was a quiet and shy person, while I was actually kind of a bully. I took up for us most of the time.

 

A: I turned pro in 1992 right after the Olympics. As for my first fight, I remember it very well. I signed with Lou Duva and ended up fighting in San Antonio for my first fight against Rafael Rizzaq. I have to admit it was a very tough fight for me because I thought my first one would be an easy. I ended up stopping him in the fourth round, but he was tougher than I expected.

 

A: After being with Lou Duva for four years, I ended up signing with Top Rank in 1996. After two fights with them , I eventually ended up fighting for the IBF title against Anthony Stephens in April of 1997 on ABC’s Wide World of Sports at the Tropicana Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas during the day. After I won the title, I went to see Oscar fight Pernell Whitaker at the Thomas & Mack Center that night also in Vegas and I witnessed Oscar win the WBC title belt. That was a very memorable night for both of us and will never forget it.

 

A: Three of them. However I eventually lost the title to Yuri Boy Campas in December of 1997. I should have never taken the fight because I fought two months before against Keith Mullings and won the fight by split decision as a part of the De La Hoya and Hector Camacho fight. My face was not able to hold up in the Campas fight and lost the fight by TKO in the eighth round. In fact, the doctor told me not to take the fight because my face was traumatized going into the fight with Campas. My dad even told me that my face was swollen during training and I probably should waited a little longer. But what made it even harder to grasp is that Mullings eventually fought Terry Norris and beat him for the WBC title.

 

A: It really hurt a lot because I beat Mullings in September of 1997 and lost to Campas in December of that same year. Because of that, Mulllings got the title shot for the WBC title and ended up knocking out Norris on the exact same night of my fight against Campas. I know that it should have been my shot and winning that title would have blown my name up.