Ferocious’ Fernando Vargas is an example of a fighter who achieved a lot in a short amount of time.
Vargas was born on December 7th, 1977, and without a father who was able to teach him right from wrong, as a youngster he had a tough time controlling his inner rage. Vargas would pick on anybody he could have a fight with on the streets, despite being raised by an affectionate mother.
On the receiving end of a number of school suspensions, Vargas one day switched on the television to discover amateur boxing. Originally, he believed that the sport was for only adults and was unaware that youths could also participate, and after seeing trophies being handed out to these guys, Vargas found and ran to his nearest gym to begin training. He never thought about the amateur aspect of boxing but nevertheless was persuaded to participate at the age of fourteen. He captured various olympic medals including a bronze at the Pan Am games in 1995 and a gold at the US olympic festival in 1994.
Like many who have found boxing over many decades, the sport instilled a sense of maturity and discipline in Vargas. He turned professional in March of 1997 and made a successful professional debut, knocking out Jorge Morales in the first round. Nineteen months later, he took a world title shot against Luis Ramon Campas. Campas had then compiled a record of 72-0 in comparison to Vargas’s 14-0. It was a battle of the unbeaten veteran vs the unbeaten rookie. Campas had previously faced the likes of Felix Trinidad and was making the fifth defence of his IBF light-middleweight title after winning it against the formerly unbeaten Raul Marquez. Vargas came of age as his speed and intensity became too much for Campas. Campas did have a couple of good moments, namely nailing Vargas with a right hook in the sixth round while the challenger’s back was against the ropes, but after the seventh round the Mexican walked out to the centre of the ring to admit defeat to an ecstatic, albeit slightly grazed Vargas. Campas would never hold another world title but would go on to fight other big names such as Oscar De La Hoya and Hector Camacho, losing to both. Campas is still fighting as of writing in 2012.
Vargas would compete on the undercard of the heavyweight unification bout between Lennox Lewis and Evander Holyfield in March 1999, beating Howard Clarke in the fourth after a stubborn but brave effort from the English fighter. Clarke sadly went on to develop Frontotemporal Dementia, a condition caused by damage to the frontal lobe of the brain that, to this day, forces him to be cared for by others.
Another successful defence against former Campas victim, Raul Marquez got him a major fight against the technically good Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright. Vargas won a split decision (one judge scored the fight a draw) in a close bout in which Wright fired back some great counter shots when Vargas landed. Both fighters went toe to toe with Wright taking Vargas’ best shots but the younger fighter came on strong in the last few to seal the deal.
Up next was former Oscar De La Hoya victim, Ike Quartey. Quartey had gone the distance with De La Hoya the previous year in what turned out to be a controversial contest in which both boxers were knocked to the canvas, but Oscar came back strong in an epic last round to try and knock out the Ghanian fighter but was unsuccessful when referee Mitch Halpern refused to step in between them both after noticing that Quartey was trying to counter him off the ropes after being sent to the floor. Quartey also made six defences of the WBA welterweight title and was known for his excellent jab and knockout power. It was another tactical battle where Quartey would attempt to counter the champion but Vargas was the more dominant, pressing Quartey to the ropes and catching him off the back foot. The ninth round was particularly memorable when both traded, Quartey again having to try and counter his opponent while he was nailed against the ropes. As what happened in the fight with De La Hoya, Quartey would or could not press himself enough when it mattered to take the title and he allowed Vargas to steal rounds that mattered.
Vargas made another defence against Ross Thompson from Buffalo in New York but their press conference was perhaps more eventful than the fight itself when Thompson punched Vargas’ promoter, Gary Shaw and himself which resulted in a brawl to break out. Vargas beat Thompson in the fourth round when he connected with a right hook to the head that knocked down the challenger. An unsteady Thompson got up to receive more punishment and was pounded on the ropes to be rescued.
Vargas, full of anger at what happened in the build up, spat at Thompson and missed but apologised for his act in the post fight interview. It was also this interview where Vargas expressed his disliking of Oscar De La Hoya, stating that he had no heart and that he did not even rate him as one of the best in the world!
Their showdown would come later.
On the second day in December of 2000, Fernando Vargas would square off against Felix ‘Tito’ Trinidad at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. The fight would go down as one of the best of the decade, alongside the likes of Morales vs Barrera and Castillo vs Corrales and involved two unbeaten champions, with Trinidad holding the WBA crown. Through the years, Trinidad built up an image as a fighter who could hit hard and had beaten (and ruined) fighters like David Reid, a former olympic medalist, Hector Camacho and Oscar De La Hoya. The only weakness, at least at the time, was his chin, having been floored by challengers such as Kevin Leushing but Trinidad would rise up to fight back stronger and stop his opponents. By this time, Trinidad had secured his place as one of the top pound for pound fighters in the world, and even though Vargas had done well in his career up to this point, the public had wondered if a fight with the Puerto Rican had come a little too early.
It certainly seemed that way when Vargas was heavily floored twice in the first round. Vargas was first caught with a left hook to the jaw that sent sent him on the seat of his pants. Another left hook convinced Trinidad at that point that it was going to be an early night’s work and he jumped on the rope to celebrate, but could not break Vargas’ spirit. Over the next few rounds, the IBF champion fought his way back slowly as Trinidad could not emulate the success he had in the first. It was the Puerto Rican’s turn to stare at his opponent’s ankles when he was caught with a counter left hook that sent him down in the same fashion as Vargas did approximately twelve minutes earlier. Trinidad delivered a low blow left hook to Vargas that knocked the wind out of him but he continued moments later. As Trinidad missed with wild hooks, Vargas was able to capitalise with his own, boxing smartly to avoid being caught heavily. But the end came in the eleventh when Vargas was clipped by another left hook that sent spray flying. After two more knockdowns, the last being from a right hand to the head, the fight was stopped.
Vargas’ record received it’s first blemish, but ‘El Feroz’ made the ring his home and it would not be long before he made his return.
Five months later, Vargas was back in the ring and scored a technical knockout over Wilfredo Rivera in six and stopped Jose Flores in seven rounds before facing Oscar De La Hoya in September, 2002 in a highly publicized grudge match. Vargas accused De La Hoya of not being “Mexican enough”, stating Oscar did not have the “cojones” of a true Mexican fighter. Vargas’ psychological tactics even went as far as involving De La Hoya’s promoter, Bob Arum, telling him that his fighter called him a “Jew,” saying it in the context to accuse De La Hoya of being a racist. But Oscar, ever the people’s champion and nice guy, could not make his verbal comeback to match and he fired back at Vargas, telling him that he had a “glass jaw” and that he was going to finish the job that Trinidad did not.
Oscar had not fought for fifteen months previously, his last fight being an easy decision win over Javier Castillejo, and people were wondering how much the former six weight champion had left. He stated that he refused to give Vargas a huge pay day with a fight in the past due to the constant abuse he received in the media from him but this time he wanted to prove that he was as legitimate a Mexican as they come!
The fight was held at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. It was a unification match for the WBC and WBA titles.
Vargas had the better start to the fight as he nailed Oscar with right hands to the head. De La Hoya ducked but found himself slipping toward the ropes, back first. Vargas tried to capitalise and was successful with hooks and straight rights. Eventually the man known as ‘Goldenboy’ managed to find himself in the centre of the ring and the bell soon sounded.
Oscar used the jab to both the head and body but had to ship the occasional right from Vargas that had him trying to survive for some of the bout, obviously feeling the heavy power of ‘Ferocious.’ De La Hoya’s nose bled heavily in the fifth, and his trainer, Mayweather Sr became concerned about the punishment he was taking whenever he found himself against the ropes. Different tactics were needed and De La Hoya knew this! He came out for the sixth round jabbing and using more lateral movement, forcing Vargas to give chase. Oscar opened a cut under Vargas’ right eye when he delivered a hook to the face, a cut that would stream blood for the remainder of the fight. De La Hoya began landing right hooks of his own in the following rounds, and by the ninth Vargas looked to be tiring, his punches swinging slower. He was being caught with regularity by left and rights as he came stalking forward while Oscar began fighting on the back foot. Shortly before the bell rang to end the tenth, a left hook by De La Hoya stunned Vargas, rocking him. Oscar tried to jump all over him but was pulled away by referee Joe Cortez and he was sent back to his corner.
Oscar failed to end the fight there and then but it wouldn’t be long before he would. Vargas recovered well in the eleventh but a perfect left hook sent him down on his back in the second minute of the round. With that cut under his right eye again streaming down his bruised and weary face, Vargas’s warrior spirit begged him to continue. Cortez allowed him to go on but Oscar pounced, nailing Vargas with left and rights. Vargas began to move away in an effort to survive the round but there was plenty of time left on the clock. After being stunned by more unanswered shots, Cortez stepped in to wave off the contest. Their grudge match was now decided but Vargas tested positive for Winstrol, a steroid. With a suspension of nine months away from the ring and a $100,000 fine, it would be ten months before Fernando was seen fighting again.
Fernando had another successful comeback, winning two against Fitz Vanderpool and Tony Marshall but an injured disc in his back caused him to spend fifteen months away from boxing as he recovered. Two more wins in 2005 saw a mega bout with ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley being hyped for February, 2006. Mosley kind of found himself at a cross roads after suffering back to back defeats to Ronald Wright in 2004. Before that, he won a controversial points decision over Oscar De La Hoya in their rematch but had a disastrous 2002 when he was beaten for the first time by Vernon Forrest. Forrest beat him again that same year.
Vargas vs Mosley became a WBA light-middleweight title eliminator and was set again to take place in Las Vegas. Both Mosley and Vargas had a lot to prove to both types of viewing audiences (television and attending audiences). Mosley started fast, landing a right that almost immediately raised a lump on the left eye of Vargas. Vargas spent the fight chasing Mosley but ended up being caught with fast punches, and the lump he got in the first round developed into an unsightly bulge across the left side of Vargas face as the fight progressed. Vargas was checked by the ringside doctor at the end of the eighth round and was allowed to continue, but the end was not in doubt as Joe Cortez rescued Vargas in the tenth after he was caught with a big right and left hook combination that shook him.
A rematch of their clash was set for five months later, and Mosley’s superior speed won him the fight once again.
It appeared that Vargas’ career was over at this point but he would come back for one last match seventeen months later. A match that saw the fiery temper of Vargas being evenly balanced by the colourful Ricardo Mayorga.
Vargas made it abundantly clear that his showdown with Mayorga would be his very last in the ring. Their fight was set for September 18th, 2007 but was delayed due to the former light-middleweight champion having dangerously low levels of iron in his blood. A catchweight of 162lb was decided.
Their pre-fight press conference at the Staples Center exploded in violence when Mayorga stated that he was doing Vargas’ family a favour by sending him into retirement after their fight. This touched a nerve with Vargas who stood up only to be struck in the face by the Vernon Forrest conqueror. Vargas responded by landing two rights to the head of Mayorga and the fighters were quickly separated. Mayorga was cut on the cheek while Vargas received a wound to his hand. Mayorga stated that he would drop down to welterweight after his victory, although he would not keep to his word as he campaigned mostly at 154lb for the remainder of his career, losing to Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto, both by stoppage in the twerfth and last round’s.
Their weigh-in was almost equally entertaining as they were separated by a sheet of plexiglass to stop them from starting work early. Mayorga pointed to his arms, as if to say that he had the power to knock out his arch rival while Vargas flexed his muscles. The man from Nicaragua, Mayorga, kept yelling “fatty” in Vargas’ direction, often referring to their fight taking place at 162lb because Mayorga claimed that Vargas was too big to make it any lower.
They met in the ring on November 23rd, 2007 and sadly for Vargas, it looked like his decision to call it day after this contest was the right one after being floored twice, once in the first round and again in the eleventh. The fight was scored as a split decision win for Mayorga. One judge ruled it a draw. Vargas and Mayorga apologised to one another and put aside their differences soon after the bout.
Three years later, in 2011, Vargas announced a comeback and a fight was scheduled against Henry Buchanan. However, it was delayed and then cancelled after Vargas contracted pneumonia.
As of 2012, despite eating and staying healthy, a solid comeback has yet to be announced, if ever there will be. Many fans believe that Vargas should remain in retirement and I think this would be a sensible call. He gave us some great memories in boxing, particularly his performances against Trinidad and his grudge matches with De La Hoya and Mayorga but it is probably fair to say that he took substantial punishment in his ten year career.
We have heard and seen it once too often where a great fighter makes an unnecessary return. Ricky Hatton is the latest to shout from the roof tops that he isn’t able to keep his gloves on a hanging nail.
I’ll say thanks for the memories. But I hope it is a sentence that I do not have to re-write.
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