THE BRAWL
VARGAS Vs. MAYORGA

THE BRAWL :
FERNANDO VARGAS Vs. RICARDO MAYORGA
Saturday, September 8, 2007
Distributed by Canadastar Boxing Inc.
To Canadian Commercial Locations
On Closed Circuit-Pay Per View

FERNANDO VARGAS
PROFILE AND BIO

- As at July 31, 2007 -

Rather than subject himself to further punishment at the hands of the young "Ferocious" Fernando Vargas, Campas walking back to his corner at the end of round seven, signaled to his trainer to stop the fight. Unable to see out of his swollen-shut right eye, and bleeding profusely from his mouth, "Yory Boy" Campas surrendered his IBF junior middleweight crown. Little did the fans realize that they were applauding the youngest junior middleweight champion in boxing history - just 21 years old.

Vargas struck swiftly that evening in December 1998. Early in round two, a left jab/overhand right combination opened a cut above Campas' right eye. In round three an overhand right buckled the legs of the champion. Midway through round seven, an overhand right sent Campas' bloody mouthpiece sailing to the canvas. Four consecutive left hooks stunned Campas and brought the crowd to their feet. Moments later, an inside right staggered Campas again. Although he finished the round, "Yory Boy" was clearly a beaten fighter psychologically and physically.

Vargas was scheduled to turn pro in November 1996; however, while training for the bout, he broke his right hand. Eager to turn pro and begin his march toward a world championship, within five months, Vargas was ready for his professional debut.

In his professional debut in March 1997, Vargas crushed Jorge Morales, a veteran of 33 bouts, in just 56 seconds. A star was born.

After six professional bouts, Vargas had fought a total of only eight rounds.

In October 1997, in his first performance on a pay-per-view broadcast, Vargas dismantled bruising veteran Alex Quiroga. Vargas bounced devastating overhand rights off Quiroga's granite jaw, and mauled him with bone-crushing left hooks to the rib cage, forcing the referee to stop the bout in round one.

After starching his next six opponents, all within five rounds, Vargas received his first opportunity to headline and HBO fight card.

In August 1998, Vargas battled rugged New Jersey native, Darren Maclunski in the co-feature bout to the Arturo Gatti-Ivan Robinson war. Fernando hammered Maclunski from the opening bell, twice dropping the relentless Maclunski on his way to earning a sixth-round stoppage.

Vargas followed his victory over Maclunski by defeating "Yory Boy" Campas in December 1998 to capture the IBF junior middleweight championship.

In March 1999, on the undercard of the Lennox Lewis-Evander Holyfield world heavyweight championship unification bout, Vargas successfully defended his newly-earned crown, flooring Howard Clarke four times in round four to force a stoppage.

Four months later in July 1999, Vargas battered former IBF junior middleweight champion, Raul Marquez for 11 rounds to retain his IBF crown for the second time. Marquez was unable to nullify Vargas' superior hand and foot speed. Vargas stung Marquez with 2-3 punch combinations while performing a boxing clinic that stunned ringside observers with its precision and effectiveness. The knockout victory, Vargas' 17th, tied the record set by undisputed light heavyweight champion, Roy Jones, Jr. for the "Most Consecutive Knockout Wins to Begin a Champion's Career."

In October, the World Boxing Hall of Fame named Fernando Vargas their 1999 "Fighter of the Year".

In December 1999, Vargas successfully defended his crown for the third time, capturing a majority decision over the IBF's No. 1 mandatory challenger, Ronald "Winky" Wright. In a give-and-take brawl from the opening bell, the two fighters traded bombs for the majority of the bout, until Vargas stormed ahead in the championship rounds 10-12.

In February 2000, Washington Redskins Strength and Conditioning Consultant, John Philbin joined Team Vargas. Philbin has worked with the Redskins for seven seasons and has worked with numerous world-class athletes such as, Herschel Walker, Edwin Moses, Willie Gault, Renaldo Nehemiah and Darrell Green.

In April 2000, Vargas launched himself into boxing stardom by dominating former WBA welterweight champion, Ike Quartey to capture a unanimous decision. He out jabbed, out punched and out gutted Quartey closing the right eye of the Ghana native with a blistering two-fisted attack to successfully defend his crown for the fourth time.

In August 2000, Vargas pummeled IBF No. 1 contender, Ross Thompson to successfully defend his crown for the fifth time. Vargas punished Thompson, flooring the Buffalo, NY native three times with devastating overhand rights. Thompson entered the bout weighing 173 pounds, 10 pounds more than Vargas at that time.

In December 2000, Vargas surrendered his IBF crown to WBA Jr. Middleweight Champion, Felix Trinidad. Despite being floored five times, Vargas fought back relentlessly, displaying a champion's heart time and time again throughout the bout. The former champion even dropped Trinidad in round four with a stinging left hook, however, by round 12, Vargas was exhausted and was unable to repel Trinidad's blistering attacks.

Vargas returned to the ring in May 2001, stopping Wilfredo Rivera in six rounds. Vargas shook off a second round knockdown and stormed back in rounds five and six with vicious body punches and stinging left hooks to force Rivera's manager to intervene and demand a stoppage.

In September 2001, Vargas captured the vacant WBA Jr. Middleweight crown, dismantling WBA No. 1 ranked contender, Jose "Shibata" Flores in seven rounds. A torrent of crippling body punches and a series of combinations to the head dropped Flores to the canvas in the seventh round. Unable to climb to his fee, the tough, durable Mexican was counted out by the referee, Joe Cortez. Vargas' punishing victory over his friend and former sparring partner also earned him the vacant IBA Jr. Middleweight title.

In September 2002, Vargas surrendered his WBA and IBA titles to Oscar De La Hoya in an historical junior middleweight championship unification showdown. In the early rounds, Vargas used his natural strength to bully De La Hoya against the ropes and land right hands to the head and body, however, in the middle and late rounds, Vargas tired and De La Hoya's hand speed took over. After hurting Vargas at the end of round ten, De La Hoya dropped Vargas in round eleven with a left hook to the head, and stopped him moments later with a flurry in round eleven.

Vargas returned to the ring in July 2003, and hammered WBC No. 1 ranked junior middleweight contender, Fitz Vanderpool to earn a sixth round stoppage. Vargas wore down Vanderpool with lead rights to the head and crippling combinations to the body before ending the bout in round six with a 14-punch flurry.

In December 2003, Vargas battered Tony Marshall from the opening bell to earn a seventh round stoppage. Following the completion of round seven, referee Bobby Ferrara waved a halt to the bout to prevent Marshall from receiving any further punishment.

Vargas returned to the ring after a 15-month layoff in March 2005, to dominate IBF No. 7 ranked middleweight contender, Raymond Joval and capture a unanimous decision.

In August 2005, Vargas floored two-time world champion, Javier Castillejo in round three on his way to capturing a unanimous decision.

On February 25, 2006, Vargas evenly battled three-time world champion Shane Mosley for nine rounds before a swollen-shut left eye forced referee Joe Cortez to call a halt to the bout at the 1:42 mark of round 10 (TKOby 10). At the time of the stoppage only a single point separated the two boxers on all three judges’ scorecards.

In the rematch on July 15, 2006, Vargas was unable to overcome Mosley's hand speed and was stopped in the sixth round (TKO).