MAYORGA vs. VARGAS TO BATTLE ON NOVEMBER 23
Posted on | September 5, 2007 | No Comments
MAYORGA VS. VARGAS PREVIEW
By: Patrick McElligott
On November 23, Fernando Vargas is scheduled to meet Ricardo Mayorga. The fight was originally planned for September 8, but a “routine” blood test showed Vargas was suffering from an iron deficiency. This fight, which pits two of boxing’s “bad boys,” might not have the significance it would have several years ago – but it still is generating a lot of interest.
Mayorga, who was born on October 3, 1973, has held the WBA and WBC welterweight titles, and the WBC jr. Middleweight crown. Most of his victories have been against the 2nd and 3rd tier opponents in these divisions. However, he does have three important wins.
After his first fight with Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis ended in a no contest after 2 rounds, due to serious cuts both warriors suffered from a head butt, Mayorga scored an intense knockout in 5 rounds in their return match.
More importantly, Mayorga knocked out undefeated WBC champion Vernon Forrest in the 3rd round of their unification bout, and then won a close decision in their return match. Forrest was coming off of two convincing victories over Shane Mosley, who many people believed was boxing’s pound-for-pound best at that time.
But Mayorga’s limitations were exposed in three big fights after that: first, Cory Spinks easily outboxed him in December of 2003; then Felix Trinidad TKOed him in 8 brutal rounds in October, 2004; and Oscar De La Hoya
blasted him out in 6 rounds in May of 2006.
Vargas was born on December 7, 1977. He had an outstanding amateur career, going 100-5, and he did well in the Jr. Olympics, the Olympic Festivals, the World Jr. Championships, and the Pan American Games.
In December of 1998, Fernando captured the IBF jr. middleweight crown when he forced tough Yori Boy Campus to quit after the 7th round. His prime came in two decision wins in defenses of this title: in December ’99, he beat Winky Wright, and in April 2000, he beat tough Ike Quartey.
But eight months after the Quartey fight, he was TKOed in 12 by Felix Trinidad. Six months later, Vargas won the WBA and IBA jr. Middleweight titles. Then, in a September 2002 grudge match, Vargas was TKOed in 11 by
Oscar De La Hoya.
On 2-25-06, Shane Mosley TKOed him in 10 intense rounds, and 5 months later, Mosley devastated him in 6 one-sided rounds.
Vargas had some legal problems in 2001, and was sentenced to 3 months in jail. But his record in that arena pales in comparison to Mayorga’s. In July 2003, Mayorga was reportedly arrested for hitting a woman who was attempting to collect a $7500 debt; in June ’04 he was reportedly jailed for threatening a man with a pistol, and then punching him; in September ’04, he was arrested on suspicion of raping a 20-year old woman; and in early 2007, he was arrested on two fraud charges in one week – the first for a $56,000 debt to a car dealer, and the second for 3 bad checks totaling $87,000.
Vargas is more than 7 years past his prime. He has had a long, intense career – especially when his 105 amateur fights are taken into consideration. He has had injuries including when he broke his right hand before his pro debut, and the chronic back problems that reduced his ability to bend at the waist in the Mosley fights. He has taken a lot of punishment in fights, including in his four loses to three of the best of this era.
Mayorga is the Don Jordan of this generation. He continues to direct cheap insults at women in his opponents’ lives, from Spinks’ late mother, to De La Hoya and now Vargas’s wives. In 2004, he had announced plans to retire, and he seems to be fighting primarily as a means of paying his bills. Like Jordan, his record is plunging as he nears the end of the road.
The fight is scheduled to be at 162 pounds. Vargas can’t make the lower weights, partly because of his age, but more so due to his back. Years ago, it would seem unlikely that Mayorga’s round-house punching would have posed much of a threat to him. But Fernando has lost much of his defensive skills.
A fair case can be made for either man winning this one. There is little chance of it going the distance. And there is almost no chance of any rounds being boring.