Fightin’ words provoke Vargas

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Aug. 24, 2000 | 10:10 a.m.

In good spirits and obviously in excellent physical form, Fernando Vargas drew a figurative bull's-eye on Ross Thompson and promised to hit the mark when they square off Saturday night at Mandalay Bay.

Vargas, the International Boxing Federation junior middleweight champion, met with members of the media Wednesday at the Academy of Fighting Arts gymnasium. It was his first day in Las Vegas after arriving from California and a training camp that was held in Big Bear.

He assured onlookers that Thompson, a former Las Vegan and his mandatory challenger at 154 pounds, would be in for a rough evening.

"At first it was a little hard to get up for this fight," he admitted. "But then Ross Thompson opened his mouth and now I have a great incentive.

"I always go angry into the ring anyways ... but now I have a bigger incentive to show what I am."

Thompson piqued Vargas' interest in the fight with a series of fairly outlandish interviews in which he extolled his own virtues while subtly belittling the champion's abilities. It was a good marketing ploy in that it drew attention to a fight that might otherwise have been completely overlooked, yet there may be a price to pay.

"If his strategy is to make me lose my head in the ring, it'll never happen," Vargas said. "I wasn't up for him (initially), until he opened his mouth. Then I got up for him."

Vargas, 22, is 19-0 with 17 knockouts and is coming off a decision win over Ike Quartey at Mandalay Bay.

Thompson, 27, is 24-3-1 with 16 KOs and has won four straight fights to move into the IBF's No. 1 position.

Nonetheless, Vargas hasn't been impressed.

"I never really liked that type of fighter," he said. "He's a mediocre fighter and mediocre fighters make me look mediocre. But that won't happen now that he's said the things he did."

Vargas is a significant betting favorite and independent oddsmaker Herb Lambeck sees him as a 30-1 choice.

"I feel real strong," Vargas said, and he looked the part as well. "I want to beat everybody.

"Ross Thompson? All he has is a mouth. He can believe that he's going to win but it's not going to happen."

Beyond the fight with Thompson, Vargas is looking at one with Felix Trinidad in November that will also be held in Las Vegas.

"Just give me the opportunity and I'll show what kind of fighter I am," Vargas said of meeting Trinidad, the World Boxing Association champion at 154. "I want to unify the three titles. I want to be undisputed, like Mike Tyson was."

With the birth of a second child, son Amado a month ago, Vargas brings a contented disposition into his fight with Thompson.

"I'm a real man," he said. "I take care of my kids, they're my little tiger cubs. I see myself as a business and a family man."

That's in contrast to his own father, who never was part of his life.

"I know of him, I know who he is," Vargas said. "But he can never be a part of things now."

He credits his trainer, Eduardo Garcia, for being the father he never had.

"He saved my life," he said of Garcia, who is also the father of former junior lightweight world champion Roberto Garcia. "Without the guidance of my trainer, my life would be in the toilet."

He does, however, have one potential distraction hanging over him, an assault charge in Santa Barbara, Calif., that has yet to go to court. Vargas claims he will right the situation and that it will not interrupt his professional career.

"You're going to get the best Vargas," he said of his outlook coming into Saturday's fight. "There are no problems in my life right now."

Also on the card is a fight for the vacant IBF welterweight title, with Vernon Forrest (31-0, 25 KOs) meeting Raul Frank (23-3-1, 12 KOs) for a championship that Trinidad held and vacated when he moved up to 154.