By Lem Satterfield
Even as he engaged in clinches with former world champion, Vivian Harris, during Friday night's junior welterweight clash at the Buffalo Bill's Star Arena in Primm, Nevada, Jesse Vargas, eyed his promoter, Floyd Mayweather, and responded as Mayweather screamed for him to continue firing debilitating shots to the body.
As a result, Vargas, a 21-year-old Las Vegas resident, caused so much damage and discourage in his opponent that the 32-year-old Harris (29-6-1, 19 knockouts) refused to come off of his stool for the second round.
Vargas improved to 15-0 with his eighth career knockout and the fifth in his past seven bouts, dropping Harris to his third straight loss.
"You know, I think Jesse Vargas is a very, very talented fighter. I truly believe that he can be one of the biggest stars in the sport in the future," said the 33-year-old Mayweather, whose Mayweather Promotions handles Vargas, to BoxingScene.com.
"Jesse is an up and coming and he's young, but yet he's very smart and very, very poised to be so young. And tonight, was a big test for Jesse," said Mayweather, speaking from ringside on the mobile phone of his friend, Tommy Smalls.
"To fight a former two-time world champion, he showed a lot of composure," said Mayweather. "You know, he just went out there and he executed the game plan that was given to him, and he did it to near perfection."
The exit was the quickest in the career of Harris, who was stopped, respectively, in the fourth, and, third rounds, in his past two bouts against Argentina's Lucas Matthysse (28-1, 26 KOs), and, Victor Ortiz (28-2-2, 22 KOs), of Oxnard, Calif., in February of 2010, and, in September.
Sitting at ringside were Golden Boy Promotions' president, Oscar De La Hoya, and, newly crowned IBF junior welterweight titlist, Zab Judah (41-6, 28 KOs).
"Oscar was there, and he's very, very interested in Jesse himself. That's why Golden Boy doesn't mind working hand-in-hand with me," said Mayweather, who earned a split-decision over De La Hoya in May of 2007.
"Oscar is very, very interested in Jesse Vargas," said Mayweather. "I think that he sees a lot of himself in Jesse, and the same with myself."
Mayweather has known Vargas since his amateur days, and said that he intends to co-promote Vargas with Golden Boy Promotions.
"I've actually known Jesse for a long time. When I used to train, he would watch me as a young kid and a young amateur kid in the gym watching me train," said Mayweather.
"You know, since he's gotten with us, you know, everything has been uphill," said Mayweather. "Mayweather Promotions has been working with Golden Boy Promotions with Jesse. I have a good relationship with Golden Boy, and we've been working with Jesse Vargas."
Mayweather said that he also has been working with 24-year-old super middleweight Dion Savage (10-1, six KOs) of Flint, Michigan, as well as 31-year-old southpaw welterweight Said Ouali (27-3, 19 KOs) of Las Vegas.
Mayweather said that he was at ringside in Belgium in December when Ouali battled 36-year-old ex world champion, Randall Bailey (41-7, 36 KOs) to a second-round no-decision at the Lotto Arena, in Merksem.
"I just got back from Belgium watching Said fight. It was over in the second round after Randall Bailey threw him over the top rope, so the fight got called a no contest," said Mayweather.
"I'm on my way over to Morocco and I'm taking Said over to Moroco with me," said Mayweather. "He's going to working with another promotional team that I'm working hand-in-hand with. I've worked with different teams."
