Columnist Dean Juipe: Vargas sticks to prediction: Youth will prevail vs. Ike

Dean Juipe

Thursday, April 13, 2000 | 10:33 a.m.

Dean Juipe's boxing notebook appears Thursday. His sports column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

The betting line has changed slightly, reflecting incoming money on Ike Quartey.

Yet Fernando Vargas says those bettors backing his Saturday opponent at Mandalay Bay aren't making the best use of their money. He's confident youth will be served and he'll win what is certain to be a competitive fight and retain his International Boxing Federation junior middleweight title.

"The youngest warrior is the strongest warrior," Vargas said, sticking to a theme he has expressed more than once in the weeks leading up to his HBO-televised fight with Quartey. "We'll see if he can fend off this warrior."

Vargas, 22, is 18-0 and will be making the fourth defense of his championship.

Quartey, 30, is 34-1-1 and is hoping to reclaim a world title at a new weight. Once the World Boxing Association welterweight champ, he is now fighting at 154 pounds and attempting to rebound from a loss to Oscar De La Hoya 14 months ago.

Wednesday at Caesars Palace, Vargas was listed at a minus 220 after opening at a minus 240. Quartey, conversely, is a plus 180 after opening at a plus 190.

It's a minus 120 both ways on the proposition bet of the fight going the distance.

Both fighters have been working out in Las Vegas, albeit at the fairly obscure Academy of Fighting Arts.

Vargas will be paid $1.3 million for the fight, while Quartey gets $1.2 million.

Joe Cortez will referee the fight, with Dave Moretti, Jerry Roth and Glen Hamada serving as judges. All are local residents with the exception of Hamada, who is from Washington.

"I guarantee my championship belt won't be changing hands," Vargas said. "I'm going to take it back to California with me when I leave here.

"I'm in the best shape of my life and I don't think the fight will go to a decision."

A pro since 1997, Vargas has fended off challenges of ex-champions like Raul Marquez and Yory Boy Campas. But this is clearly his biggest fight and it's one that could make him a legitimate superstar in the sport.

Quartey doesn't believe Vargas is ready for that type of ascension.

"He's too young," the native of Ghana said. "I'm in the top shape of my life."

Quartey came within a whisker of defeating De La Hoya at the Thomas & Mack Center on Feb. 13, 1999, losing a contested split decision. One judge had him up 115-114, while the others favored De La Hoya by scores of 116-113 and 116-112.

A full house is expected in the Mandalay Bay Events Center and there are two other fights scheduled for 12 rounds: Antonio Diaz vs. Ivan Robinson, 140 pounds; and Paul Vaden vs. Shibata Flores, 154 pounds. Diaz, 29-2, vs. Robinson, 27-3, figures to be the highlight of the undercard and Diaz could be further motivated by the fact he's receiving $10,000 less -- $60,000 to Robinson's $70,000 -- in spite of the fact they'll be fighting for Diaz's minor title.

Moving up to headline the card is a junior welterweight bout that had been initially scheduled as a support act: Antonio Mesquita vs. Juan Rodriguez. Mesquita, 17-0 with 12 knockouts, defeated Las Vegas resident Ivan Ledon in his most recent fight and was a sparkling 79-1 as an amateur in his native Brazil. Rodriguez is 38-12 with 23 KOs and has lost to the likes of Oba Carr and Hector Camacho Jr.

Earlier headliner Edson Nascimento dropped off the card last week, and his replacement, former world champion Manuel Medina, dropped off this week after being announced as Nascimento's sub. Their supposed opponent, Marro Garnica, is also off the card.

Scheduled for 10 rounds are flyweights Ruben Sanchez-Leon, 24-8-1 with nine KOs, and Tomas Rivera, 14-6-2 with eight KOs; and scheduled for eight rounds are welterweights Arturo Rodriguez, 10-1 with six KOs, and Sebastian Valdez, 9-1 with one KO.

First bell is 7 p.m.

Incarcerated heavyweight Ike Ibeabuchi is due back in Las Vegas district court for an evidentiary hearing April 19. He has been in jail since a July incident at a local hotel, which resulted in charges of sexual assault. ... The opponent for Diego Corrales' April 29 nontitle fight in Reno has changed. The IBF junior lightweight champion will now face Anthony Martinez, who is 13-2-2. ... The first World Ring Officials Congress will meet April 25-27 at the MGM in Las Vegas. Boxing officials from 20 states and 23 countries are scheduled to attend. A second World Congress is scheduled for May 4-7 in Paris with 41 countries sending representatives. ... Additional current betting lines from Caesars Palace: Lennox Lewis minus 250 and Michael Grant plus 200 for their April 29 heavyweight title fight in New York; and Oscar De La Hoya minus 180 and Shane Mosley plus 140 for their June 17 welterweight title fight in Los Angeles.