If you thought that Israel Vazquez could never top his dramatic comeback win against Rafael Marquez in their last fight, think again! After a long layoff, Israel came back to the ring to score an impressive TKO victory as he dropped Angel Priolo three times in the 9th round, but don't let the result fool you.  Priolo, who was supposed to be a tune-up fight, proved to be a formidable opponent. Vazquez was definitely in danger of losing the fight and many members of the media had Priolo winning on the scorecards up until the time of the stoppage.

Vazquez was lucky that Priolo is a bit feather-fisted because the latter constantly peppered him with combinations.  He didn't seem to have any defense for Angel's right hook over the top and by the mid rounds, his eyes were almost shut closed.  Even when the fight turned to the inside, Angel was able to nullify Israel's effectiveness with his speed and work rate.

In the seventh, much to the dismay of the crowd, the doctor stepped onto the ring to check on a cut over Israel's eye.  Luckily for Vazquez, the referee allowed the fight to continue.  In the next round, Israel, in desperation mode, came out and took the fight to Priolo, who survived the early onslaught, but it was clear that Israel was starting to find his groove.  Then, in 9th round, it was vintage Israel Vazquez, showing heart and determination, relentlessly pursuing Angelo en route to knocking him down three times and forcing the referee to stop the fight.

Israel Vazquez is definitely back, but far from the form that once made him a constant member of people's pound-for-pound list.  It's a great victory for Vazquez, but don't forget that this was against an opponent who had lost his previous 6 fights, with five losses coming via KO. 

Vazquez's struggles in the ring can be attributed to the ring rust and maybe the cut that he suffered early in the fight, but it's obvious that he has a number of areas to work on before facing the likes of Rafael Marquez again.  If he was against Rafael tonight, he would certainly have been kayoed since his supposed new and improved defense was nowhere to be found.

The fight with Priolo probably produced more questions than answers.  Was his struggle against Priolo a case of ring rust or a sign of deterioration in skills?  Was he able to carry most of his power to the featherweight division?  Will his defense improve enough to prevent or limit cuts in the future?

The answers to the above mentioned questions can only be found once Israel steps in against a more durable opponent. But one thing I have learned is never count out Israel and knowing him as a fighter, I would not be surprised to see him back in his old form.