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05/07/2005 Archived Entry: "Vargas Announces Coming to ‘Chi-Town’ on Big Fight Card Featuring David Diaz, Angel Hernandez and More in August!"
Vargas Announces Coming to ‘Chi-Town’ on Big Fight Card Featuring David Diaz, Angel Hernandez and More in August!
By Juan C. Ayllon
Fernando Vargas addresses the crowd
“The second largest Mexican population in the United States is here in Chicago. He [Fernando Vargas] said, ‘I’m going to Chicago, okay, whether you like it or not. I’m the leader of my ship and you know what? You may be fired after this negotiations right here, but if you don’t take them to Chicago.’ Well, ladies and gentlemen, I want to keep it real simple: we’re here. I’m not telling you when we’re coming, but I’m telling you one thing, we are coming. ‘Ferocious’ Fernando Vargas is in Chicago, David Diaz is in Chicago, Angel [Hernandez] and all these fighters—we’re here and we’re going to tear the roof off the Allstate Center, of course, this coming Summer!”
--Rolando Arellano, Manager, Fernando Vargas.
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – There was an air of excitement in the air at the popular boxing gym, JABB Gym. The crowd chatted politely as the former two-time world champion took his seat in front of them.
Seated before an enthusiastic audience at a long table alongside popular Chicago fighters David Diaz and Angel “El Toro” Hernandez, his manager Rolando Arellano, 8 Count Productions promoter Dominic Pesoli and others, was two-time junior world champion Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas.
Up until December 2, 2000, at 20 and 0 with 17 knockouts, a young Fernando Vargas looked like a sure Boxing Hall of Famer in the making. That night, he took on the great former world welterweight champ and then WBA and IBF Light Middleweight Champion Felix Trinidad, whose record stood at 38-0-0 with 31 KO’s.
Knocked down in the first round, Vargas came right at the champion and knocked him down hard in the fourth round. However, as he attempted to rally then and in subsequent rounds, he was repeatedly fouled by the more experienced Trinidad and knocked down three times in the 12th round, when he was stopped at 1:33 into the final round.
That fight appeared to take a lot out of Vargas. Apparently sensing that Trinidad had softened him up, Oscar De La Hoya agreed to fight him on September 14, 2002. It was a thrilling affair. In the early going, it looked like De La Hoya had bitten off more than he could chew as the notably stronger Vargas appeared to be beating him up. Over the long stretch, however, De La Hoya persevered, surged and stopped Vargas in the 11th round.
Fast forward to May 7, 2005. Fernando Vargas is coming back. Having stopped experienced fighters Fitz Vanderpool and Tony Marshall in July and December of 2003 respectively, taken care of severe chronic back ailments in the interim, and decisioned Raymond Joval in March 2005, Vargas—now 25-2-0 with 22 KO’s—he held a press conference, announcing that he will headline a huge bout at Allstate Arena in Chicago as part of his quest to win the WBC World Light Middleweight Title and garner some big fights in the process.
FERNANDO VARGAS: I’m very happy to be here. I know that I was not advised to be here!
MANAGER ROLANDO ARELLANO: I’m sorry! Okay, I’m sorry!
[Laughter from the audience]
FERNANDO VARGAS: What I’m doing, my other manager, Shelly Finkel advised me where the sure money’s at. You know, ‘go to Vegas.’ You know, you got the site fees, no problems for me.
I’m a gambling man.
[Laughter]
FERNANDO VARGAS: I like to take my risks. I mean, that’s why I’m here. I know that lots of hard-working, blue collar Mexican-American, Blacks, Puerto Ricans, they appreciate the fact that we come here because it’s hard being Mexican and having kids. I mean, you know, I understand getting the flight to Vegas, the tickets and…so, you know I said to myself, ‘You know what, I’m going to come over here where my fans don’t usually get a fight like this magnitude, and they’ll appreciate it. So, I’m here and I’m excited, and I’m just looking forward to it. So, I’d like to thank everybody.
And, David Diaz will be on my card; [and] ‘Toro’ [Angel Hernandez] will be on my card.
Fernando Vargas (left) and David Diaz
You know, David Diaz and I go way back from the [1996] Olympic Team together, so I said, ‘One day I’m going to come to ‘Chi-Town’. I would call him up after our little thing [he chuckles]. So, you know, I’m excited, and I think it will be great and let’s blow the roof off of ‘Chi-Town’!
[Loud applause]
RON PUCCILLO [Chairman of the Illinois Department of Regulation]: I’m looking forward to this fight. It’ s going to be a great event in Rosemont. It’s always a pleasure working with Dominic and 8 Count Promotions. And Fernando is one of the biggest stars in boxing and his fans are in Chicago and in Illinois. They love him and it’s a good thing for him to come here. He’s a class act and it’s going to be a pleasure working with him. I’m looking forward to a good show. Thank you.
[Editor’s note: prospects light welterweight David Diaz (26-1-0, 14 KO’s) and junior middleweight Angel Hernandez (26-6-0, 26 KO’s, who lost a split decision to IBF Light Middleweight Champ Ronald “Winkie” Wright) both delighted the crowd as they spoke exclusively in Spanish. Unfortunately, this writer was unable to translate their comments.]
ALFREDO "FREDDY" CUEVAS [Chicago Middleweight 24-7-1, 16 KO’s who, along with Fernando Vargas, owns a win over World rated Wilfredo Rivera]: Well, I wasn’t expecting to come up here and talk, but it’s great to have Fernando and his team here. Hopefully, I’ll be on that fight card too!
[Laughter in the audience]
ALFREDO “FREDDY” CUEVAS: I’m coming back. I had an…injury. I’m all healed up, so you should expect to see me back in the ring real soon. You know, hopefully a couple wins and get a title shot real soon. Thank you all very much.
DAVID PAREJA [Chicago Light heavyweight who participated in the FOX-TV Reality Boxing show, “The Next Great Champ” and has a record of 4-1-0, 1 KO]: What a great, exciting day for Chicago, having this big title fight with Fernando Vargas. He’s right: we’re going to blow the roof off this city! We’ll bring big time boxing back to Chicago!
[Editor’s note: exciting Chicago bantamweight Francisco Rodriguez (3-0-0, 3 KO’s) spoke exclusively in Spanish]
DONAVAN GEORGE [4-0-1, 3 KO’s]: I really got nothing to say…
[Laughter]
DONAVAN GEORGE: I wasn’t expecting it. By the time I’m champ, maybe I’ll have a few more things to say. Other than that, thanks for coming and see you soon!
[Editor’s note: Fernando Vargas took center stage and handled questions]
On his back injury:
FERNANDO VARGAS: My back is better. You know, with the strength exercises that I’m doing. You know, the only thing I can do is strengthening the core muscles in my back to make them stronger. I still have discomfort, I still have pain sometimes.
You know, I’m on a mission: I want that WBC [belt]. That’s the only one I haven’t had. And that’s, to me, the only one I really wanted. You know what I’m saying?
When I was a kid, seeing my idol, Senor Campeon Julio Caesar Chavez…[with it] around his waist…on the cover of “KO Magazine,” I was like, that was my dream!
It’s almost like Yosito, you know, saying, ‘I’m going to bless you one time, I’m going to bless you twice, but the one you really want is going to be the last one. And, so, you’re going to have to work hard for it. So, I’ve been working with Andy Smith and Ibraldo [?] Garcia…I don’t have a contract with Ibraldo Garcia, but he’s been winning since day one and he will always be with me. I’m my word and that’s everything. So, my back is better, stronger. [I’m] just looking forward to coming to Chicago!”
On his fighting last at 162 lbs. and if he’s going to go back down to junior middleweight, i.e., 154 lbs.:
FERNANDO VARGAS: Yeah, I was thinking I couldn’t make 154 anymore, but with my new strength and wellness coach, I know I can. So, I’m excited about coming back to ’54. I’m looking forward to doing what’s necessary to get back the WBC [title], make some quick fights at ’54. You know, I think Trinidad is gonna get it, get Winky Wright out of there [Trinidad and Winky Wright are scheduled to fight for the WBC Middleweight Title eliminator on May 14th]. And I want to fight Winky Wright, ‘cause he talked a lot of—talked a little too much—a lot of smack.
[Laughter]
FERNANDO VARGAS: After Trinidad gets through with him, I still want him. So, there’s some fight there [at 154 lbs.] that are there. You know, Mayorga’s around, too, you know fights that I think Mexicans want to see. You know, and I want to see because I want to beat them.
On the date of his next fight:
FERNANDO VARGAS: August 6th, August 6th.
On how comfortable he is with his new style:
FERNANDO VARGAS: Oh man, very comfortable! I think you guys saw that with Danny Smith, he opened my eyes up to things that once you learned so much and that was all that you ever learned, but with Danny Smith, he’s taught me things that I’m excited about doing and I did a lot of them in my last fight. I just look forward to continue to learn and work with Danny Smith.
On what he has to say to those who claim he left the best of his career with Trinidad and De La Hoya:
FERNANDO VARGAS: You know, the fact is, I won my last three fights, looking better each time, and people can say what they want to say. You know, to me, all I know is whenever I show up to fight, my people show up. Obviously, if they thought that I’m finished, well, they obviously show up and show me that I’m not.
[Loud applause]
Far right: Fernando Vargas and David Diaz chat as Rolando Arellano (left) addresses the crowd
ROLANDO ARELLANO: You’ve got to understand who Fernando Vargas is and what he accomplished when he accomplished it. At 21 years old and with 14 fights, he was fighting Tito Trinidad, who had seven years of defenses. Okay, a lot of people had criticized him for losing the fight. But, look the way he lost! Hey look! And I am convinced, but for the low blows, we had his ass. He knocked him down in the fourth round, he was coming back, the second Vargas catches up, Trinidad goes to the bottom! He hit him four times! I think that [Referee] Jay Nady should have disqualified his ass. And in the future—me and him have had a discussion—I am stopping a fight like that because if the referee is not protecting your fighter, I need to protect my fighter like that.
But now Fernando Vargas is coming to what I call ‘fruition.’ He’s 27, 28 [years old]. He’s not 21 years old with 14 fights no more. He’s a little older, he’s a little savvier, a little more intelligent—in and outside of the ring! Their asses are ours now.
Okay? Cause, look how De La Hoya became! He fought Chavez and he fought Camacho—right?—when they were on their way out. They were 34, Oscar De La Hoya was 26 and stuff like that.
He just came to peak. He’s going to start peaking and I want everyone to see it because then I can say, ‘I told you so!’
On how Vargas graded himself on his last fight:
FERNANDO VARGAS: I gave myself a three, you know what I’m saying, two and-a-half, three because I’m my own worst critic. You know, there’s things I would have wanted to do a little bit, you know, that I didn’t do, but you know, Danny Smith was very happy and I’m still happy with the win. You know, I almost got him out of there…this guy went in there weighing 175 pounds, you know, pretty much a light heavyweight, a fighter that had never been knocked out; I almost had him out of there. Hey, you can’t knock out everybody.
On whether or not he has an opponent selected for his upcoming bout:
FERNANDO VARGAS: I don’t handle that. You’d have to talk to Rolando Arellano or Shelly Finkel. I don’t worry about that.
On whether this is supposed to be a title fight or merely a tune-up bout:
FERNANDO VARGAS: We’re trying to get Javier Castillejo [at 58-5-0, 39 KO’s and who’s currently scheduled to fight Ricardo Mayorga on July 23 at Madison Square Garden], but there’s, you know, Don King politicking. So, I don’t know if that’s going to happen, but I’m going to stay in the sport ‘till I get that WBC [belt] and that’s what I’m waiting for.
On what’s next, assuming all goes well in winning the WBC Junior Middleweight crown:
FERNANDO VARGAS: Like I said, I want to fight a few fighters. I want to fight Winky Wright again; I’d love to fight—I think with the stuff that I know now, I know that Trinidad wouldn’t be able to beat me and Oscar [De La Hoya] wouldn’t have been able to beat me with the stuff that I know now. And, understand that I only had one trainer my whole life [Editor’s note: De La Hoya’s well known for having gone through a long list of “Who’s Who” trainers] and now, with the stuff that I learned, I just feel that it would have been different the second time around. So, you know, if I can get those two rematches, I would love it. I think, like I said, I would love it if I could get ‘em.
On what he can tell us about his new adjustments in style, strategy and the things he’s learned:
FERNANDO VARGAS: Ah, I don’t like to give away secrets!
[Laughter]
FERNANDO VARGAS: The game is sold, not told.
On whether he will be training in Chicago before his fight in August:
FERNANDO VARGAS: I’ll probably be training here two weeks before the fight. I’ll be here.
I’m very happy to be here, again, and I’ll see everybody soon.
[Loud applause]
From left to right: Freddy Cuevas, Fernando Vargas, David Diaz, Angel Hernandez,
and David Pareja; Francisco Rodriguez stands behind them
Afterwards, David Pareja, Angel Hernandez, and David Diaz spoke briefly with the Cyber Boxing Zone.
First, Dave Pareja chatted with the CBZ.
On his controversial loss to Otis Griffin [2-1-1, 1 KO at the time of their bout; now he’s at 6-1-1, 4 KO’s] on “The Next Great Contender” Show:
DAVE PAREJA: I just want to set the record straight as to what happened in that ring because I wasn’t properly represented by FOX on Hollywood. It was Hollywood-ized; they put their own little twist to it. And I think they were showing by them bringing Otis back after he lost and then when he had a draw, they gave it to him, and they kicked the other guy off the show, and then when I fought him you know I beat him, but they didn’t display it on the scorecards.
I want to set the record straight and I want to set a fight up, I want to have a rematch with Otis, you know, six, eight, ten round fight—whatever—you know, before someone else beats him because I don’t see him to continue wining in boxing. I’m officially calling him out. I want to call him out and I want to fight him. I don’t care where or when I fight him, I just want to fight him.
Second, Angel Hernandez spoke.
On if he’s changing promoters to 8 Count:
ANGEL HERNANDEZ: Ah, I don’t want to talk about it!
On his upcoming fights:
ANGEL HERNANDEZ: I don’t know; I’m not sure when I’m going to fight, but I think I’m going to fight pretty soon. I’m going to go back again to the ring.
On what weight class he will be fighting at:
ANGEL HERNANDEZ: Ah, 154 and then after that one, I’m going to be 147 again.
Third, David Diaz spoke briefly.
Diaz (right) ponders a question while Vargas (left) autographs a boxing glove for a fan
On his preparations for his upcoming fight being held in St. Louis this June:
DAVID DIAZ: Well, they’re going pretty good. We just started up training; this week coming up, we’re going to start sparring. It’s for a Kevin Cunningham show and we’ll see what happens down [in St. Louis] and we’ve got an eight rounder going down there. So, we’re going to try to good there and we’ll see what happens. It’s probably going to be junior welterweights. Yeah, probably my next fight [after that] is going to be lightweight.
On whether or not he knows his opponent yet:
DAVID DIAZ: No, we still don’t know; everything’s still up in the air, so we’re going to see what happens.
On how his newborn son and his wife, Tanya, are faring:
DAVID DIAZ: He’s one month and four days old, born April 2nd. His name is David Anselmo Diaz [Anselmo is Diaz’ father’s name].
[On Tanya]: She’s doing great! Along with the kid, they’re very happy, I’m very happy. It’s the greatest dream of my life right now!
- - - -
Needless to say, boxing is looking up in Chicago these days. With the WBO World Heavyweight Championship between Andrew Golota and Champ Lamon Brewster on May 21 and now this mega-card featuring Fernando Vargas, Angel Hernandez, David Diaz and more slated tentatively on August 6th, it appears that Chicago is on its way back to the form it once held in its boxing heyday. As famed announcer Michael Buffer is fond of saying, “Let’s get ready to rumble!”
Chicago style, that is!
Photos by Juan C. Ayllon
