Three battles have already taken place in one of boxing’s all-time rivalries. Now comes chapter four.

Billed as “Vazquez-Marquez IV,” the fight between three-time world champion Israel Vazquez and two-division world champion Rafael Marquez is the headliner of a card Saturday at Staples Center televised live by Showtime.

In the co-feature, Yonnhy Perez defends his IBF world bantamweight title against unbeaten top contender Abner Mares.

“Without a doubt, this is going to be a war just like the previous fights were,” Vazquez said. “I’m really motivated to come back for this battle with Marquez and I know this fourth fight is going to be very significant to my career. I hope all the fans are as excited as I am for this fight and as excited as they were for the previous three, as the fourth will no different than the others.”

“Israel Vazquez and I are destined to be intertwined together because of the legendary battles we have waged against each other, but I intend to close the book on our rivalry by dictating the final chapter -- and the fight,” Marquez said. “I have never wanted to win a fight so much in my life. I’m training to win. I’m fighting for my legacy.”

Oscar de la Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions and Vazquez’s co-promoter, said, “May 22 is more than a fight, it is for pride, honor and respect of the boxing world and we are excited to be able to deliver the fourth fight following one of the best trilogies in boxing history.

“This type of fight reminds us of the great events from the 1970s at the Olympic Auditorium and the Forum, featuring two great Mexican warriors who leave it all in the ring.”

Vazquez (44-4, 33 KOs) of Huntington Park, by way of Mexico City, leads Mexico City’s Marquez (38-5, 34 KOs) in the series, 2-1, winning the last two.

In the first meeting on March 3, 2007, Marquez broke Vazquez’s nose in the first round, but the fight carried on and the two continued to exchange accurate and powerful shots. Vazquez could barely breathe through his broken nose and after seven hard-fought and rounds, Vazquez asked trainer Freddie Roach to stop the fight, losing his WBC super bantamweight world title in the process.

In their second fight on Aug. 4 of that year, Vazquez stopped Marquez in the sixth round to regain the title.

The two Mexican fighters squared off for the third time March 1, 2008 in a 12-round battle that might have been the most compelling of them all.

Vazquez eked out a split-decision victory by just one point, scoring a knockdown in the final seconds of the twelfth round to successfully defending the WBC and Ring Magazine super bantamweight crown.

Marquez returned to the ring with a third-round KO of Jose Francisco Mendoza at 126 pounds. Vazquez returned Oct. 10, 2009 to record a ninth-round TKO of Angel Antonio Priolo.

The Perez-Mares fight is also a compelling matchup.

Perez (20-0, 14 KOs) of Santa Fe Springs, by way of Colombia, is coming off an upset 12-round unanimous decision over defending champion Joseph King Kong Agbeko to win the IBF bantamweight world title Oct. 31, 2009.

“We will give the fans a great fight,” Perez said. “I know Abner well, he is a very good friend of mine who I have known since the amateurs, but I don’t even let my best friends touch my championship belt. I worked too hard and too long to get it. Mares will not be able to take it away from me, no way.”

“This fight could very well steal the show,” Ken Thompson, Perez’s co-promoter with Shaw, said. “These are two great bantamweights, two all-action boxers with lots of power, but there is only one champion and I’m confident Yonnhy will remain undefeated and will be able to successfully defend his title in a great battle.”

A top-contender at 118 pounds Mares (19-0, 12 KOs), of Montebello, by way of Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico, is ranked in the top five by the WBO, WBA and IBF. The 24-year-old has won three of his last four fights by knockout and is fresh off of a sixth round KO of Carlos Fulgencio in Aug. 27, 2009. He is looking to earn his first world title.