Vargas learned from Oscar’s mistakes

Dean Juipe

Friday, Dec. 1, 2000 | 10:40 a.m.

Oscar De La Hoya's name surfaced and Fernando Vargas was predictably dismissive.

The question was what had Vargas learned from seeing De La Hoya lose to Vargas' Saturday opponent at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, Felix Trinidad?

"I learned how you lose to Felix Trinidad," Vargas replied. "If he watches our fight, I'll teach him how to beat Felix Trinidad because that's what's going to happen."

Vargas believes he will succeed where the Golden Boy failed in a pay-per-view fight that matches a pair of reigning world champions at 154 pounds. Vargas, 22, is the International Boxing Federation champ while Trinidad, 27, holds the World Boxing Association belt.

Trinidad added to his portfolio by taking a decision over De La Hoya, then the World Boxing Council champion at 147 pounds, Sept. 18, 1999, in Las Vegas. He has since won two fights, including one over David Reid, giving Trinidad victories over three former Olympic gold medalists as he also owns a win over Pernell Whitaker from earlier in 1999.

The fact that Trinidad beat De La Hoya was fine with Vargas, whose relationship with his fellow Californian has long been estranged. Truth is, Vargas believes he's the antithesis of De La Hoya in his Mexican-American fans' eyes.

Vargas, 20-0 with 18 knockouts, has talked a good deal this week about pride and how he is driven to succeed by it. But he's running into a long-established champion in Trinidad, a native of Puerto Rico who is 38-0 with 31 KOs and on the verge of his 19th world-title fight.

"I beat Reid because I'm better than him and I'm better than Vargas, too," Trinidad said. "He's a champion and he's won all his fights, so there shouldn't be any excuses after I beat him."

Win or lose this figures to be Trinidad's final fight at 154, as he said "I have to work hard to make that weight" and he is already negotiating to fight WBA middleweight champ William Joppy.

He promises he isn't looking past Vargas although he waves off Vargas' boast that he sent home nine sparring partners during this training camp, the result of intense workouts that left the hired hands nervous and injured.

"He isn't going to be fighting any sparring partners Saturday," Trinidad said. "He's going to be fighting Felix Trinidad and that's a big, big difference."

Vargas says bring it on.

"We kind of were friends at one time," he said of his relationship with Trinidad. "But all that has ended."