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thought those interested in the fight would like to read this.. also maybe people placing bets 
(can you tell im bored at work or what?)
FERNANDO VARGAS vs. JAVIER CASTILLEJO
Former two-time 154-lb. champ Vargas, 25-2, 22 ko’s, in his second comeback fight, vs. the 37-year old Javier Castillejo, 58-5-0,40 ko’s, who also held a 154-lb title, from 1999-’01. Vargas is a 3-1 favorite.
Vargas returned to the ring last March, following a 15-month layoff due to a bulging disc in his lower back and decisioned the light-hitting Raymond Joval over 10 rounds. Determined to perfect his hit and not be hit new style, Vargas landed 51% of his carefully placed 49 punches thrown per round. He averaged 16 jabs per round and seldom tried to take out Joval, who landed just 17% of his 99 punches thrown per round. Vargas did finish strong, averaging 64 punches per round over the last 3 rounds. He also landed 32 of 48 power shots (67%) in the eighth. Joval had his moments, outlanding Vargas 35-22 in round 5, but didn’t have enough pop to deter the tentative Vargas. Scoring after 10 rounds: 98-92 V; 96-94 V; 97-93 V.)
In December of 2003, Vargas ko’d the shop-worn veteran Tony Marshall in round 7. The loss was Marshall’s fifth in his last 7 fights. Vargas then was scheduled to challenge Castillejo for an “interim” 154-lb title in February of 2004 before the back injury flared up again.
In July of 2003, fighting before a frenzied Olympic auditorium crowd, Vargas stopped a tentative Fitz Vanderpool in six rounds, 10 months after his crushing 11th round ko loss to Oscar delaHoya. The ko loss to delaHoya was further compounded when he tested positive for steroids and was suspended 9 months and fined $100,000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Vargas threw just 41 total punches per round, but landed 51% vs. the visibly intimidated Vanderpool, who landed just 44 punches all night, among his 51 punches thrown per round!! Vanderpool averaged 96 punches per round in a ten round draw with CompuBox record holder Ray Oliveira in January of ’99.
Possessing a Body by Jake that he proudly displayed at the weigh-in (along with poses that would have made a young Arnold Swartzneggar blush), Vargas came out aggressive and strong vs. delaHoya, outlanding the Golden Boy 86-29 in power shots over the first 5 rounds, including 22-3 in the third. After getting off 69 total punches in round five, Vargas averaged just 41 per round over the next nine minutes. As a result, delaHoya’s accuracy increased- Oscar landed 45% of his power shots in round six and 65% in round eight. Vargas responded with his best round of the fight in the ninth, landing 41 of 76 total punches (54%), including 32 of 61 power shots (52%). DelaHoya led just one point on two cards thru nine-Vargas was ahead 87-84 on the third card! A four-punch combination changed everything late in round 10. A left hook dropped Vargas in the 11th, before he was pummeled on the ropes and stopped at 1:38 of the round.
Vargas landed 43% of his 48 punches per round- but totally abandoned the jab vs. delaHoya, averaging just 13 per round to Oscar’s 39 per round. This was not the same Vargas that averaged 76 punches per round, including 25 jabs per round, in his April 2000 decision win over Ike Quartey. How sharp was Vargas vs. Quartey? He actually out threw (305-290) and outlanded (132-122) Ike in the jab department- the same Quartey that LANDED 313 jabs-an all-time CompuBox record for any fighter in any weight class, vs. Jose Luis Lopez in October of ’97.
Overall, Vargas outlanded Quartey 389-272, including 257-150 in power shots-all set up by the jab. delaHoya landed just 206 of 551 total punches (37%) vs. Quartey, who landed just 201 of 608 (33%) vs. Oscar in their February ’99 fight won by Oscar via split decision.
Vargas was also ko’d in the 12th round of his December 2000 matchup with Tito Trinidad. Vargas was badly hurt from left hook :15 into the fight. He was down twice in the first round.
He rallied to drop Tito in the fourth and got back into the fight into the seventh round. Trinidad then dominated rounds eight thru ten, outlanding Vargas 71-43 in power shots, including 24-4 in the 10th. Vargas actually won the 11th round on all cards but still needed the ko for the win going into 12th and final round. Instead he walked into several Trinidad bombs that ended the fight at 1:33 of the 12th after 3 more knockdowns. Vargas landed 38% of his 50 total punches per round vs. Tito, who landed half of his well-placed 40 punches per round.
Five months later Vargas was dropped and badly hurt by light hitting Wilfredo Rivera in round two. Rivera again hurt Vargas to the body in the 4th. He capitalized on neither opportunity and Vargas steadily took Rivera apart. Rivera looked to stop fighting after suffering a badly cut right eye in round six. Vargas averaged just 35 punches per round, landing 39% of his power shots. The selective (or inept) Rivera did manage to land 39% of his power shots after landing just 22% of his non-jabs in his 6th round ko loss to delaHoya in December of 1997
Vargas, who won a junior middleweight title in his 15 pro fight and only 21st month as a pro, (KO 7 Yory Boy Campas-12/12/98), also has a controversial majority decision win over Winky Wright ( 12/4/99). Out of shape mentally and physically, the just turned 22 year-old Vargas had to rally in the last two rounds to pull out the fight. He had enough left in the tank to do so, throwing 99 punches in the 11th and 85 in the 12th to get the vote of two judges (the other voted even) over Winky, who might have thought he had the fight already won , throwing just 25 punches in the 12th.
Castillejo’s been fighting for pay for over 17 years. He’s won 7 straight and 21 of his last 22. The only loss came vs. Oscar delaHoya in June of 2001. Defending his 154-lb title, Castillejo had no answer for delaHoya’s hand speed and movement, eating 403 total punches over 12 rounds. It was only the 22nd time in CompuBox’s 20 year history that a fighter was hit with more than 400 punches in a championship fight. Oscar landed 53% of his total punches and 52% of his power shots- all set up by the jab, that landed on an average of 15 times per round. Oscar landed 185 jabs over 12 rounds- #2 all time for junior middleweights. The game Castillejo was dropped in round 12 and outlanded 403-121 in total punches, landing just 18% of his 56 punches per round.
Castillejo averaged 68 punches per round in his decision win over newly-crowned 154-lb champ Roman Karmazin in July of ’02. Castillejo averaged 82 punches per round over the last 3 to secure the win (115-113 C; 115-113 C; 116-111 C). He had Karmazin badly hurt in the 10th after landing 36 of 80 power shots. Karmazin, who upset Kassim Ouma on 7/12, did land 11 jabs per round with Castillejo holding a 151-99 edge in power connects.
Castillejo won the 154-lb title with a 12-round majority decision win over the game, but limited Keith Mullings in January of ’99. He’s been stopped just once, by Frenchman Laurent Boudouani way back in January of 1995. Boudouani, who was decisioned by David Reid in ’99, shut out Castillejo in their rematch one year later.
The “new” Vargas should have little trouble with the aging Castillejo, who’s never met a jab he didn’t like to munch on. DelaHoya and Karmazin both averaged in double digits landed per round with their jabs. Vargas, who has the ability to use the ring and not stay in front of Castillejo, can make it an easy fight by staying disciplined and working behind the jab. The crowd will want the ko, however, Castillejo’s only been stopped once. Vargas, by one-sided unanimous decision.
(can you tell im bored at work or what?)FERNANDO VARGAS vs. JAVIER CASTILLEJO
Former two-time 154-lb. champ Vargas, 25-2, 22 ko’s, in his second comeback fight, vs. the 37-year old Javier Castillejo, 58-5-0,40 ko’s, who also held a 154-lb title, from 1999-’01. Vargas is a 3-1 favorite.
Vargas returned to the ring last March, following a 15-month layoff due to a bulging disc in his lower back and decisioned the light-hitting Raymond Joval over 10 rounds. Determined to perfect his hit and not be hit new style, Vargas landed 51% of his carefully placed 49 punches thrown per round. He averaged 16 jabs per round and seldom tried to take out Joval, who landed just 17% of his 99 punches thrown per round. Vargas did finish strong, averaging 64 punches per round over the last 3 rounds. He also landed 32 of 48 power shots (67%) in the eighth. Joval had his moments, outlanding Vargas 35-22 in round 5, but didn’t have enough pop to deter the tentative Vargas. Scoring after 10 rounds: 98-92 V; 96-94 V; 97-93 V.)
In December of 2003, Vargas ko’d the shop-worn veteran Tony Marshall in round 7. The loss was Marshall’s fifth in his last 7 fights. Vargas then was scheduled to challenge Castillejo for an “interim” 154-lb title in February of 2004 before the back injury flared up again.
In July of 2003, fighting before a frenzied Olympic auditorium crowd, Vargas stopped a tentative Fitz Vanderpool in six rounds, 10 months after his crushing 11th round ko loss to Oscar delaHoya. The ko loss to delaHoya was further compounded when he tested positive for steroids and was suspended 9 months and fined $100,000 by the Nevada Athletic Commission. Vargas threw just 41 total punches per round, but landed 51% vs. the visibly intimidated Vanderpool, who landed just 44 punches all night, among his 51 punches thrown per round!! Vanderpool averaged 96 punches per round in a ten round draw with CompuBox record holder Ray Oliveira in January of ’99.
Possessing a Body by Jake that he proudly displayed at the weigh-in (along with poses that would have made a young Arnold Swartzneggar blush), Vargas came out aggressive and strong vs. delaHoya, outlanding the Golden Boy 86-29 in power shots over the first 5 rounds, including 22-3 in the third. After getting off 69 total punches in round five, Vargas averaged just 41 per round over the next nine minutes. As a result, delaHoya’s accuracy increased- Oscar landed 45% of his power shots in round six and 65% in round eight. Vargas responded with his best round of the fight in the ninth, landing 41 of 76 total punches (54%), including 32 of 61 power shots (52%). DelaHoya led just one point on two cards thru nine-Vargas was ahead 87-84 on the third card! A four-punch combination changed everything late in round 10. A left hook dropped Vargas in the 11th, before he was pummeled on the ropes and stopped at 1:38 of the round.
Vargas landed 43% of his 48 punches per round- but totally abandoned the jab vs. delaHoya, averaging just 13 per round to Oscar’s 39 per round. This was not the same Vargas that averaged 76 punches per round, including 25 jabs per round, in his April 2000 decision win over Ike Quartey. How sharp was Vargas vs. Quartey? He actually out threw (305-290) and outlanded (132-122) Ike in the jab department- the same Quartey that LANDED 313 jabs-an all-time CompuBox record for any fighter in any weight class, vs. Jose Luis Lopez in October of ’97.
Overall, Vargas outlanded Quartey 389-272, including 257-150 in power shots-all set up by the jab. delaHoya landed just 206 of 551 total punches (37%) vs. Quartey, who landed just 201 of 608 (33%) vs. Oscar in their February ’99 fight won by Oscar via split decision.
Vargas was also ko’d in the 12th round of his December 2000 matchup with Tito Trinidad. Vargas was badly hurt from left hook :15 into the fight. He was down twice in the first round.
He rallied to drop Tito in the fourth and got back into the fight into the seventh round. Trinidad then dominated rounds eight thru ten, outlanding Vargas 71-43 in power shots, including 24-4 in the 10th. Vargas actually won the 11th round on all cards but still needed the ko for the win going into 12th and final round. Instead he walked into several Trinidad bombs that ended the fight at 1:33 of the 12th after 3 more knockdowns. Vargas landed 38% of his 50 total punches per round vs. Tito, who landed half of his well-placed 40 punches per round.
Five months later Vargas was dropped and badly hurt by light hitting Wilfredo Rivera in round two. Rivera again hurt Vargas to the body in the 4th. He capitalized on neither opportunity and Vargas steadily took Rivera apart. Rivera looked to stop fighting after suffering a badly cut right eye in round six. Vargas averaged just 35 punches per round, landing 39% of his power shots. The selective (or inept) Rivera did manage to land 39% of his power shots after landing just 22% of his non-jabs in his 6th round ko loss to delaHoya in December of 1997
Vargas, who won a junior middleweight title in his 15 pro fight and only 21st month as a pro, (KO 7 Yory Boy Campas-12/12/98), also has a controversial majority decision win over Winky Wright ( 12/4/99). Out of shape mentally and physically, the just turned 22 year-old Vargas had to rally in the last two rounds to pull out the fight. He had enough left in the tank to do so, throwing 99 punches in the 11th and 85 in the 12th to get the vote of two judges (the other voted even) over Winky, who might have thought he had the fight already won , throwing just 25 punches in the 12th.
Castillejo’s been fighting for pay for over 17 years. He’s won 7 straight and 21 of his last 22. The only loss came vs. Oscar delaHoya in June of 2001. Defending his 154-lb title, Castillejo had no answer for delaHoya’s hand speed and movement, eating 403 total punches over 12 rounds. It was only the 22nd time in CompuBox’s 20 year history that a fighter was hit with more than 400 punches in a championship fight. Oscar landed 53% of his total punches and 52% of his power shots- all set up by the jab, that landed on an average of 15 times per round. Oscar landed 185 jabs over 12 rounds- #2 all time for junior middleweights. The game Castillejo was dropped in round 12 and outlanded 403-121 in total punches, landing just 18% of his 56 punches per round.
Castillejo averaged 68 punches per round in his decision win over newly-crowned 154-lb champ Roman Karmazin in July of ’02. Castillejo averaged 82 punches per round over the last 3 to secure the win (115-113 C; 115-113 C; 116-111 C). He had Karmazin badly hurt in the 10th after landing 36 of 80 power shots. Karmazin, who upset Kassim Ouma on 7/12, did land 11 jabs per round with Castillejo holding a 151-99 edge in power connects.
Castillejo won the 154-lb title with a 12-round majority decision win over the game, but limited Keith Mullings in January of ’99. He’s been stopped just once, by Frenchman Laurent Boudouani way back in January of 1995. Boudouani, who was decisioned by David Reid in ’99, shut out Castillejo in their rematch one year later.
The “new” Vargas should have little trouble with the aging Castillejo, who’s never met a jab he didn’t like to munch on. DelaHoya and Karmazin both averaged in double digits landed per round with their jabs. Vargas, who has the ability to use the ring and not stay in front of Castillejo, can make it an easy fight by staying disciplined and working behind the jab. The crowd will want the ko, however, Castillejo’s only been stopped once. Vargas, by one-sided unanimous decision.