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A lot of times, when a fighter, ESPECIALLY a young fighter, has too much of anyting it's a bad thing. When you have too great of a chin, it can damage you. When you have too much power, you can rely on it too much. When you have too much speed, you can work with your reflexes for too long and can cost you down the road. But, in my opinion, the worst thing to have too much of is HEART. Too much fight in you.
That's exactly what Fernando Vargas had. Too much hear.
As an amateur, he went 100-5 and had some incredible credentials. In 1992, he won the 132 lbs. championship in the Junior Olympics. He was a triple crown amateur in 1995, winning the Junior Box-Off, Junior Olympics and International Junior Olympics. He won a bronze at the Pan-Am games. He made the 1996 Olympic team, only to lose a controversial decision in the second round. He was also the youngest to ever win the U.S. Championship.
Once he turned pro at the age of 20, he went on an impressive KO streak that lasted 17 fights, ending with Winky Wright, where he won a majority decision. However, he continued to win and was undefeated up until he fought the great Puerto Rican fighter, Felix Trinidad. He was 19-0 before Tito.
He beat Yori Boy Campas for the title in his 15th pro fight. He was the youngest champion in history, winning a world title at the age of 22 years old. Stopping him and going on to stop Raul Marquez as well. After Winky Wright, he also beat Ike Quartey, even more convincingly than Oscar De La Hoya, in most peoples minds.
His problem was when he was thrown in with the wolves, fighting Felix Trinidad at such a tender age and fighting with his heart and not his brain. Realistically, he's a better BOXER than Trinidad, but during that fight, you couldn't see it. He fought moronically and tried to out punch the puncher.
You must give credit to Vargas for hurting Tito and getting in his shots. However, he tried for the KO too hard, fought with an attitude of 'I'll go out on my shield' and didn't even seem to try and box until it was too late. Though you could make the argument that Trinidad went low on purpose and stopped Fernando's momentum, the fact remains that he fought the wrong fight, regardless.
After Trinidad, he was never the same. He was damaged goods. He had trouble with weight his whole career, but it began to take over. He took a couple of gimmies and then went right for De La Hoya. He did well enough for the first 8 or 9 rounds, but ended up getting stopped in that fight, as well. The effects of the Tito fight showing up, and his heart being too involved in this personal battle. In his last five fights, he went 2-3, beating Raymond Joval, Javier Castillejo and then losing two straight to Shane Mosley, both by stoppage and losing his final fight to Ricardo Mayorga by decision. The only fight he lost in that fashion, way out of his prime.
Here's the sad part. He fought in only 8 title fights, losing his two unification fights with Trinidad and De La Hoya. He had 4 stoppages within his wins. He fought such great competition, so early. Within a span of ten fights, he fought Campas, Marquez, Wright, Quartey, Trinidad and De La Hoya, going 4-2 with the six. He ended his career on a bad note, losing to a much less talented fighter and he had a relatively short career, tracking about ten years.
He could have been so much more if he was just a bit smarter, and moved up just a bit slower. Nonetheless, he gave us a great decade, fought the best and never ducked a man. Say what you want about his 'cheating,' his antics out of the ring, his disrespect of opponents. He was a fight-fans fighter.
Much respect to Fernando Vargas, and much thought into who he could have became.
Vote. Discuss.
That's exactly what Fernando Vargas had. Too much hear.
As an amateur, he went 100-5 and had some incredible credentials. In 1992, he won the 132 lbs. championship in the Junior Olympics. He was a triple crown amateur in 1995, winning the Junior Box-Off, Junior Olympics and International Junior Olympics. He won a bronze at the Pan-Am games. He made the 1996 Olympic team, only to lose a controversial decision in the second round. He was also the youngest to ever win the U.S. Championship.
Once he turned pro at the age of 20, he went on an impressive KO streak that lasted 17 fights, ending with Winky Wright, where he won a majority decision. However, he continued to win and was undefeated up until he fought the great Puerto Rican fighter, Felix Trinidad. He was 19-0 before Tito.
He beat Yori Boy Campas for the title in his 15th pro fight. He was the youngest champion in history, winning a world title at the age of 22 years old. Stopping him and going on to stop Raul Marquez as well. After Winky Wright, he also beat Ike Quartey, even more convincingly than Oscar De La Hoya, in most peoples minds.
His problem was when he was thrown in with the wolves, fighting Felix Trinidad at such a tender age and fighting with his heart and not his brain. Realistically, he's a better BOXER than Trinidad, but during that fight, you couldn't see it. He fought moronically and tried to out punch the puncher.
You must give credit to Vargas for hurting Tito and getting in his shots. However, he tried for the KO too hard, fought with an attitude of 'I'll go out on my shield' and didn't even seem to try and box until it was too late. Though you could make the argument that Trinidad went low on purpose and stopped Fernando's momentum, the fact remains that he fought the wrong fight, regardless.
After Trinidad, he was never the same. He was damaged goods. He had trouble with weight his whole career, but it began to take over. He took a couple of gimmies and then went right for De La Hoya. He did well enough for the first 8 or 9 rounds, but ended up getting stopped in that fight, as well. The effects of the Tito fight showing up, and his heart being too involved in this personal battle. In his last five fights, he went 2-3, beating Raymond Joval, Javier Castillejo and then losing two straight to Shane Mosley, both by stoppage and losing his final fight to Ricardo Mayorga by decision. The only fight he lost in that fashion, way out of his prime.
Here's the sad part. He fought in only 8 title fights, losing his two unification fights with Trinidad and De La Hoya. He had 4 stoppages within his wins. He fought such great competition, so early. Within a span of ten fights, he fought Campas, Marquez, Wright, Quartey, Trinidad and De La Hoya, going 4-2 with the six. He ended his career on a bad note, losing to a much less talented fighter and he had a relatively short career, tracking about ten years.
He could have been so much more if he was just a bit smarter, and moved up just a bit slower. Nonetheless, he gave us a great decade, fought the best and never ducked a man. Say what you want about his 'cheating,' his antics out of the ring, his disrespect of opponents. He was a fight-fans fighter.
Much respect to Fernando Vargas, and much thought into who he could have became.
Vote. Discuss.
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