By Rick Reeno
After going through hell to make weight for Javier Castillejo, "Ferocious" Fernando Vargas (26-2, 22KOs) is focused on never having to go through weight problems ever again. Originally, his bout with Castillejo was for the WBC junior middleweight title. In an unexpected move, the WBC stripped Castillejo for choosing to fight Vargas, instead of Ricardo Mayorga of Nicaragua. The WBC appointed Vargas as the number one contender once he beat Castillejo, but Fernando feels that he already beat the champion because he defeated a fighter who never lost his title in the ring.
Right now, the sky is the limit for Vargas. He has several big money options out there, he could face Ricardo Mayorga, stage a possible rematch with Oscar De La Hoya in 2006, or even a engage in a long awaited grudge match with Ronald "Winky" Wright.
Vargas, only 27 years old and holding only 28 fights under his belt, has been involved in a several high profile bouts. Including action packed meetings with Felix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Ike Quartey and Winky Wright.
BoxingScene sat down with Vargas to discuss his health, rumors of a possible set fight with Ricardo Mayorga, meeting Oscar De La Hoya in 2006 and his next career move.
BoxingScene.com: Fernando, first and foremost, everyone is wondering how your jaw is doing and how the healing process is going?
Fernando Vargas: My jaw is fine, I thank God that it is. Originally I thought it might have been fractured or broken. The swelling went down in a few days, actually less than a week. I feel good now. It was nothing serious, I think it was (caused by) a headbutt. Originally I thought it was fractured or broken, but nothing came of that.
BoxingScene.com: There are a lot of rumors going around with respect to you fighting either Ricardo Mayorga or Oscar De La Hoya. Is there any truth to any of the rumors?
Fernando Vargas: All I know, is that I've heard that Mayorga said we have a fight set at the end of the year and that is false. He said that he is going to make 6 million and I'm going to make 3 million. You know that's not true. I don't know how he can say that he is going to make more money than me, that the fight is set and the date is set. It is definitely not going down. Right now I'm relaxing and looking to get into another fight, maybe in January.
In my last fight, I had to lose a lot of weight to get down to 154. I left for camp at 193 pounds and I had to lose 40 pounds in 11 weeks. The day of the weigh-in, I had to go in the sauna for an hour and it wore me out. I just want to say that I was done from round number 1. I thank God that he pulled me threw and I told myself that if I would not go through that again.
I made a promise to myself and God that if he helped me get through this, that I would maintain my weight. I thank God because right now I'm 170 pounds. Fifteen pounds from 154, that is nothing. I'll never do that again to my body. The people that are with me, I made their jobs even harder. I'm not doing that, I'm not killing my body. I'm want to fight next year.
I take nothing away from Javier Castillejo, he beat Roman Karmazn. Karmazin just beat Kassim Ouma and knocked him down. He's no joke, he's no slouch and he came to win, but things that I learned from Danny Smith is really showing. The way I felt and the way I performed, I felt zapped from round one. I thank God that he helped me get through the fight and now I'm looking to stay active. I don't want to jump into a big fight until I feel that I'm physically right and I don't do stuff like that to my body again.
Even though I had to lose the weight, I still worked hard in camp. And my sparring partners like Peter Manfredo and a few other tough guys that made sure I worked hard in the gym. Like I said, I don't want to do this to my body no more. I want to keep in shape so I don't balloon and keep sticking to my diet, watching what I eat and staying busy.
BoxingScene.com: So do you plan to stay at 154 for much longer or will you move back up to 160?
Fernando Vargas: I don't want to kill myself to do it. I was up to 193 pounds and having to lose 40 pounds in 11 weeks is insane. To go and have to lose that much weight, I'm not even giving my body a chance to show what I can do. If I really felt good and if I really felt strong, I would of been able to get Javier out of there. I hurt him and the bell saved him. In the next round I was going to jump on him, but I felt so tired that I decided to just box and that's what I did. I showed that I can switch up my game plan and I've learned a lot from Danny Smith.
BoxingScene.com: Oscar De Le Hoya says that he is looking to fight next May. You are near the top of his list of possible opponents or maybe even at the top. I know that you are not going to wait that long to get back in the ring again. You are looking to fight at least once or twice before May?
Fernando Vargas: Yes I am. And afterwards if the fight materializes it does and if it doesn't, it doesn't. You know, right now I'm just looking to stay busy and keep myself from ballooning. I'm just tired of that. I go to camp and I have to concentrate on losing weight and that's not me. I'm happy to say that I'm at 170 right now and that is nothing. Sometimes I even weigh 168 after a run.
I remember the day I was going to leave for camp. I had my shirt off and went on my scale and I thought the scale had to be wrong. I went to another scale, I have three scales in my house. They all said 193 and I couldn't believe it. I didn't feel big or anything, I couldn't believe it. I'm happy where I'm at now, weighing 170. I'm going to be more focused, this is the last time that this will ever happen to me.
BoxingScene.com: Is there any fighter in particular that you are looking to fight next?
Fernando Vargas: No, I'm just looking to stay active, stay busy right now. Everyone knows that I will fight anybody. Right now I'm going to give my body a chance to show what I can do. I'm going to take a fight in-between and then look for a big fight.
BoxingScene.com: What would you like to say in closing the people reading this?
Fernando Vargas: I just want to thank all of the fans that have followed me most of my career. I promise that in my next fight, I will be 110 percent. I'm not going to go through having to lose 40 pounds in 11 weeks and having to go in a sauna for an hour and getting tired out. I'm staying in shape, I'm running, I'm eating right. I have my diet that I'm following. I have a track and I'm staying on it. I'm not playing no more.
I'm exciting and I will be getting married too. I will be getting married soon to my girl that has been with me for ten years. She's my fiancé and the mother of my three kids, my three cubs. I'm in a different place in my life right now and I'm going to show what I can really do. Having to lose 40 pounds for my last fight, enough is enough.
