Fernando "El Feroz" Vargas

Fernando Vargas is now 28 years old. The age most prizefighters capture a title, if they do. Fernando became a champion at the age 20 against a great Mexican fighter named Luis Ramon "Yory Boy" Campas. He had already defeated three world champions by age 22, and was in two Mega Pay-Per-View bouts by age 25. Though Vargas has a spectacular career, two disappointing losses are what most people remember about Fernando Vargas. Fernando was one of the most unique young fighters in the world. He knew how to steal the round, when to hold, when to finish fighters, and when to close the show. With the exception of the Ronald "Winky" Wright fight, Vargas looked like everything but an inexperienced fighter early in his career. His ring smarts gave him wins over Raul Marquez, Ike Quartey, and Yory Boy Campas. After five successful title defenses he was the best young prospect in the world in the opinion of many experts. The stage was set for probably the biggest fight of his career, a Junior Middleweight Unification between Vargas and former Welterweight kingpin Felix "Tito" Trinidad. The fact that Fernando had already faced four world champions gave him a real chance against undefeated Puerto Rican superstar Trinidad. Early in the first round "Tito" countered Vargas's jab with his locomotive like left hook that put "El Feroz" on his bottom for the first time in his career. Vargas picked himself up only to get dropped for the second time in his career with another left hook. At this point everybody was shocked at the adversity Felix was giving out that it seemed inconceivable that Fernando could survive the round. Vargas used his maturity and ring smarts to make it out and turned the tables on Trinidad flooring him with his own left hook. Felix eventually broke Vargas down and stopped him in the closing round. After a rough outing against veteran Wilfredo Rivera, Vargas regained the title and was ready for his second huge Pay-Per-View event against hated rival, Oscar De La Hoya. Vargas fought very well, almost stopping "The Golden Boy" in the first but was stopped in the eleventh round. Fernando also suffered a setback in his February loss to Shane Mosley in a fight in which his eye grotesquely swelled reminiscent of Mosley's right hand.