Vargas plans big 2005!

Vargas plans big 2005! December 31, 2004 By Francisco Salazar Since his amateur days, the success of Fernando Vargas has been well-documented. A United States Olympian and former world champion, Vargas has reached the pinnacle of success few fighters have ever been to. However, it has been over a year since Vargas has been inside the ring. Instead of using his peak years to further solidify his standing as one of the more talented fighters in the sport, Vargas has been on the mend from the painful back injury he sustained. He could continue his success outside of the ring. He has begun a successful business with his firm "Fernando Vargas Total Telecommunications," a distributor for DISH Network. He is about to launch his new clothing line, Nawtius, which is slated to be in stores in a couple of months. He has surrounded himself with the right people who have managed his money well to the point that he does not need to fight again. However, he has that itch to get back in the ring, to claim another world title. Vargas will step back inside the ring when he faces an opponent to be announced on Saturday, March 26th at the American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas. The bout will be televised on HBO. Vargas, (24-2, 22 KO's) from Oxnard, CA, has been inactive since his seventh round stoppage over Tony Marshall on December 12, 2003 in Tucson, AZ. A bulging disc in his back prevented Vargas from a proposed bout against Javier Castillejo in early 2004. As much as he would have wanted to fight Castillejo or any other fighter, Vargas was not even able to train at all. As fighters like Bernard Hopkins and Winky Wright have solidified their positions in the Middleweight and Super Welterweight classes, respectively, little was mentioned about Vargas. He has showed an interest in fighting any of those fighters and avenging his two losses to Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad. It is more than that, says Vargas, who explains that his real motivation to returning to the ring is to win the WBC belt. "I am really training hard to win the WBC belt," said Vargas, who acknowledges Julio Cesar Chavez as his boyhood idol as he was growing up. "I remember as a kid that I wanted that belt when I saw Chavez on the cover of Ring Magazine. The WBC belt is a Mexican belt. It shows Mexican pride. I'm ready and able to go in and win that belt. That is what pushes me in the sport." For those people who are wondering what type of shape Vargas is in, he was more than willing to demonstrate the fruits of his labor in the gym. "I want people to think that I'm not doing anything," said Vargas as he lifted his shirt to show a conditioned and built body. "I want people to think that I'm sitting at home, relaxing and not doing anything. I want them to think that as a Mexican what I am doing is sitting at home eating tamales. This is the time of year for tamales being Christmas and New Years. But, I am working hard through the holidays." Vargas is mature enough to know that titles are not won on talent alone. Vargas has been fortunate enough to have great people in his corner such as his longtime trainer Eduardo Garcia and even Buddy McGirt. Now he has Danny Smith in his corner to train him. From the unfortunate past experiences with John Philbin, Vargas now has the services of Robert Ferguson, a dietitian whom Vargas places full trust in. "They are two secret weapons that are with me," said Vargas, who currently weighs around 173-174 pounds. His ideal weight for the March 26th bout would be at 163-164 pounds. "Robert said that I was carb deficient. With Robert, I don't have to starve myself to make weight. Everything that I was taught not to do, I am doing. I feel good that I am eating and I am losing weight." No one has questioned the heart that Fernando carries inside the ring with him. His toughness for getting back up after being knocked down numerous times by Felix Trinidad is well-documented. For Vargas, quitting is not in his dictionary. In all of his 24 fights that he has been in, he does not have any regrets. "In all of my fights, I have shown people what type of fighter I am. To beat me, you have to go through many obstacles. People sometimes don't understand why I kept getting up. It's because I always have no quit inside of me. I would rather die inside of the ring than quit. The saying goes that a coward dies a million deaths, a warrior fights on." Speaking part bravado and part philosophically, Vargas used the example of one fighter who he does not want to emulate. "If a fighter quits, he is remembered more for quitting. Look at Acelino Freitas. He's a good fighter. But, he gave up. You die a little more as a person because you gave up. As time passes, generations will remember him as someone who quit in his fight. I do not want to live like that. I want people and my kids to know that their father was a warrior and not a coward. I cannot bring upon shame on my kids if I fight like a coward." Not including his upcoming bout, Vargas does want to step in against numerous fighters. Including De La Hoya, Trinidad, and Hopkins, Vargas wants to prove people wrong and he wants to prove them wrong against a fighter he has already defeated. "When I defeated Winky Wright, I had to lose 10 pounds the week of the fight. I was only eating three hard boiled eggs and drinking some nyquil. Robert said he couldn't believe I was able to throw 100 punches in some rounds. Depending on how I feel in the next couple of fights, I might drop down to 154 pounds and beat him again." Vargas added, "He needs to fight somebody and he needs me. Nobody wants to see him fight. They would need to give people tickets free to see him fight in his hometown. You can pay the bills if you can put people in the seats and he can't do that. All of my fights, including Corpus Christi, have been sold out. See if you can find a fighter who can do that even after I took more than a year off." Despite the success he has had and in what direction his career wants to go, Vargas would have accepted an early retirement. Difficult to accept, Vargas would have done well outside of the ring. Vargas began the Ferocious Foundation for Kids, an attempt to improve the lives of economically disadvantaged children. He also began the Fernando Vargas Total Communications, which is a distributor of DISH network and cell phone cells. But what he is most proud of is the release of his clothing line, Nawshis, which is scheduled to be in stores in late February or March. "People will love Nawshis because it is sick. Something that is good, it is a tight fit. It's the clothes that I like. It's Nawshis." With all that has happened to Vargas, he maintains a close relationship with God. Explaining that things happen for a reason and always looking at the positive of a situation, Vargas will make the most of this chapter of his career and his life. Like a phoenix rising from the dead, some fighters and boxing insiders might have given up on Vargas, believing his career was dead. Still, achieving his dream of becoming a three time world champion and continuing to prove people wrong are high on his agenda. "I thank my fans for always being there. I can't wait to turn Corpus Christi upside down because they have opened their arms to me. I can't wait to give back to them." Hoping to possibly fight in Chicago, Vargas does want to return to fight again in Southern California. Vargas can find reassurance that he surrounded himself with the right people in his life. He has a fiance and three children that he adores, plus two business managers in Rolando Arellano and Joe Pecora that advise him on his business investments. When people were not paying attention, Vargas was getting ready to prove people wrong. He hopes that 2005 will bring success from all of the hard work he has put in. With no injuries holding him back, he will make more of the opportunity to cement his status in the boxing world today. NOTES: Vargas has decided to change some things during his training. Instead of training in the mountains of Big Bear, CA, Fernando has decided to train on the island of Catalina, a tourist attraction off the coast of Southern California. The mayor of Avalon, the city on Catalina, will even present Vargas with the key of the city. He will sell his compound and home in Big Bear. Vargas is almost finished shooting his role on the movie, Alphadog. Vargas will star in the role of William Skidmore, who is serving nine years in prison for his role in the murder of Nick Markovitz. Skidmore was an acquaintance of ringleader Jesse James Hollywood, who remains at large. - fight news.com