THE date was Sept. 14, 2002. The Venue: Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino at Las Vegas. This was the unification bout for the WBC and WBA junior middleweight titles. This was also a grudge match, aptly billed as “Bad Blood”
BACKGROUND. This bout had a lot more going on than just a battle of two champions. This was personal to both fighters. Both came from California—Oscar de la Hoya from Montebello, while Fernando Vargas was from Oxnard. They were state boxing rivals.
Vargas also had an interesting back story about why he held a grudge against Oscar. According to Vargas, when he was still a young fighter, he was doing some roadwork when he tumbled into a snowbank. He claimed Oscar, who was also out for a run, refused to help him and laughed at him. Oscar swore that incident never happened.
Career-wise, this fight also meant a lot for both fighters. Two fights earlier, Oscar had lost via close decision to rival Shane Mosely. Afterward, he had defeated Arturo Gatti and Javier Castillejo, and gained a belt in the 154-pound division, but he sought redemption against an elite opponent.
Vargas, too, had lost two fights back—a devastating TKO to Felix Trinidad, but he had bounced back with consecutive victories over Wilfredo Rivera and Jose Flores. But “The Golden Boy” had always been on his mind. There was no better way to get his career back on track than to defeat the fighter he had always wanted to fight.
THE FIGHT. Both men started out strong and fast. Vargas landed with a couple of hard right hands early in the fight. Oscar landed more punches , but seemed to bide his time. He also paraded his own version of the shoulder-roll defense preferred by new trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr.
In the eighth, Vargas landed a couple of solid right hands, but Oscar was starting to find his range. Vargas’ output visibly wilted in the ninth and Oscar started to take control. In the 10th, Oscar landed with one of his patented killer left hooks that staggered “El Feroz.” Fortunately for Vargas, the bell rang as Oscar zeroed in for the kill.
In the 11th, Vargas fought on bravely despite still being hurt and blood leaking from his cheeks. At about the two-minute mark, Oscar landed another left hook that knocked down Vargas.
The latter got up quickly, perhaps too fast for his own good, and after action resumed, Oscar resumed pummeling him in the corner which prompted the ref to call for the denouement of the fight.
AFTERMATH. Oscar would lose again to Mosley and move up to the middleweight division. He also lost to Bernard Hopkins but rekindled his career with a victory over Ricardo Mayorga and a close decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. He would lose to Manny Pacquiao in a career-ending fight in 2008.
Vargas was never really able to gain traction again after this fight. He would win four fights against B+ fighters but suffer three consecutive losses to Mosley (twice) and Mayorga before calling it a career.
LAST ROUND. It’s on one of my buddies from my Yakal family in UP Diliman, who recently passed the 2019 Bar Exams. Congratulations, Atty. Mark Antonio. Cheers!