What made Fernando Vargas good ?

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What I mean is, he wasn't exceptionally fast, didn't hit like a truck, wasn't a silky-smooth technician, but tough as nails.

I actually saw Vargas fight live many moons ago, against a soft-journeyman. I'd say he was quicker than I had given him credit before, but nothin' jaw-droppin'.

Fighters like Fernando Vargas and now, Kelly Pavlik mystify me, they're the type of guys you don't expect to reach the level they've reached.

[mickey malone]

What I mean is, he wasn't exceptionally fast, didn't hit like a truck, wasn't a silky-smooth technician, but tough as nails.

I actually saw Vargas fight live many moons ago, against a soft-journeyman. I'd say he was quicker than I had given him credit before, but nothin' jaw-droppin'.

Fighters like Fernando Vargas and now, Kelly Pavlik mystify me, they're the type of guys you don't expect to reach the level they've reached.

I think more to the point, is what made him turn from good to bad?

Like you, I was really excited about him and can remember saying to pals, "Wait till you see this guy," but unfortunately, he left me with egg all over my face..

I think the crux of it came when he was beaten by DLH.. Vargas always claimed he was overshaddowed by DLH as an amateur as well as being disrespected by him as a sparring partner and had focused the pinnacle of is whole career on beating him.. When this didn't happen, Fernando seemed to give up and became like James Toney but without the defensive skills.. Shame, because I believe the version who lost to DLH, would have comfortably beaten Mayorga..