Vargas walks out on media

Dean Juipe

Thursday, Sept. 20, 2001 | 11:45 a.m.

Playing the role of prima donna to the hilt, Fernando Vargas stormed out of the Mandalay Bay Events Center after complaining Wednesday that the facility was inadequate for a training session.

Vargas, who fights Shibata Flores with the vacant World Boxing Association junior middleweight title at stake Saturday, had been scheduled by his handlers to work out in the arena ring and field questions from the media.

For all practical purposes, he did neither.

Shortly after arriving at the arena that will host the fight, Vargas took a seat and answered a couple of questions from a reporter before his attention was directed elsewhere.

"I can't work out in here," he said, waving his arms in the direction of some maintenance men and electricians. With that he bolted for the exit, entourage in tow, with neither a "goodbye" nor a "see ya later" for those left in his wake.

The poor display of behavior was nothing new for Vargas, who has had his share of scrapes with the law.

At 23 years old, he is a former world champion coming off a devastating loss to Felix Trinidad and a tougher-than-expected win over Wilfredo Rivera in which he was knocked down for the sixth time in two fights. Yet Vargas has been bet into a substantial favorite in the Mandalay Bay sports book, as he is now a minus 1150 favorite after opening at a minus 700.

Flores is now a plus 850. It remains a minus 115 either way that the fight will or won't go seven full rounds.

Vargas is 21-1 with 19 knockouts and Flores, 29, is 42-8 with 26 KOs. Their scheduled 12-round fight tops an HBO-televised card that will begin at 4:15 p.m. and have its main event at 6:35.

Also scheduled on the card: Vivian Harris, 18-1-1, vs. Jose Juarez, 11-3-1, 10 rounds, lightweights; Roberto Garcia, 33-3, vs. John Trigg, 6-11-4, six rounds, lightweights; Eduardo Castillo, 5-13-1, vs. Leobardo Roman, 6-13-1, six rounds, junior welterweights; and Jeff Lacy, 4-0, vs. Levan Easley, 14-6-2, four rounds, super middleweights.

The Nevada State Athletic Commission has appointed Joe Cortez to referee the Vargas-Flores bout, with fellow Las Vegans Jerry Roth, Dave Moretti and Bill Graham serving as judges.

Before his abrupt departure, Vargas said he was "feeling awesome and ready to go." He added that he was "on weight" and "ready to put on a great show."