Ready to get it on

Dean Juipe

Wednesday, Nov. 29, 2000 | 10:54 a.m.

Head bowed and relatively expressionless, Fernando Vargas had a pensive look on his face and an equally pensive tone to his voice.

Speaking with assorted members of the media while his hands were being wrapped in preparation for a Tuesday workout at a local gym, Vargas came across as reflective and sincere. Beneath the surface, however, he said his emotional thermostat had reached the boiling point.

"Every day feels like a year to me now," he said. "It's annoying. I'm anxious to show Felix Trinidad what I have and I wish the fight was here already.

"I like you guys but I hate talking to you right now."

Vargas, the International Boxing Federation junior middleweight champion, and Trinidad, the World Boxing Association champ at 154 pounds, are fighting Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center. The pay-per-view bout, for the unified titles, matches a long-established champion with one, some would say, who is just getting his feet wet.

"Experience is a word that doesn't always fit," Vargas said in response to a question about his relatively short ring resume. "A lot of fighters say they're experienced but I see things they do that show inexperience.

"I'm supposed to be the inexperienced one, but I adapt.

"I'm a fighter. I know what I've got to do. I've been a fighter my whole life."

In and out of minor legal troubles throughout his youth, Vargas, 22, is 20-0 with 18 knockouts and will be taking part in his seventh world-title fight.

Trinidad, 27, is 38-0 with 31 KOs and is about to partake in his 19th world-title fight.

Vargas feels the elder champion has run his course.

"He knows the end is near," Vargas volunteered. "His time has come. He knows this kid is going to put a whipping on him."

Vargas is adamant in his convictions.

"I see myself as a quick and intelligent fighter," he said. "I'm versatile. But to get my full respect from the public, I have to show it in this fight.

"Like when I fought (Ike) Quartey, people said 'He beat Quartey, but ... well, (Quartey) was coming off a layoff.' There's always been a 'well' in between. After this fight, I don't want anymore 'wells.' "

Winky Wright and Quartey are the only fighters to take Vargas the distance and those fights came back to back and culminated with Vargas' decision win over Quartey April 15 in Las Vegas. Vargas has since added a win, handling Ross Thompson in an abbreviated four rounds Aug. 26 at Mandalay Bay.

"I always wanted this in my life," Vargas said of stepping up to face an undefeated champion. "This is about being the best fighter in the world and showing I can beat these types of fighters.

"This is something I've always wanted, to be in this type of mega-fight."

The sports book at Mandalay Bay has Trinidad up as a minus 170 betting favorite, with Vargas a plus 150. Despite each man's power, it's virtually an even betting proposition that the bout goes the distance, as it's a minus 120 that it will go the full 12 rounds and a minus 110 that it will not.

"Absolutely," Vargas replied, when asked if he was expecting to win by knockout.

He respects Trinidad yet sees the Puerto Rican as being limited, at least in comparison to himself.

"Trinidad can only fight one way," he said. "No disrespect to David Reid, but he couldn't finish off Reid and I'm on a totally different level than him.

"And against Mamadou (Thiam, who Trinidad knocked out in three rounds last July), Mamadou looked like a robot and he hurt Trinidad, too. If I hurt him, it'll be over."

As you might expect, Vargas promises to hurt him.

"You're going to see me hurting him," he said. "After I start tagging him, I don't think he'll be able to hold up. He's going to make some mistakes and get hurt."

Pride is driving him, Vargas said. It's the same pride that drove him to become a world champion two years ago when he knocked out Yory Boy Campas in the seventh round, only it's magnified this week with the stakes having increased tenfold.

"I will never, never, never let my people down," the Mexican-American by way of Oxnard, Calif., said. "I always have a lot of pride but it's at a different level right now.

"None of this is about money, it's all about pride."

Between the pride factor and his own impatience, Vargas is spending these last few days counting the hours before he can step in the ring with Trinidad.

"I'm watching a lot of movies," he said. "Gangster movies. I'm trying to stay busy.

"But, really, it's great. I can't complain at all."