Friday, July 14, 2006 | 7:39 a.m.
The principals
Shane Mosley (42-4, 36 KOs), three-time world champion, vs. Fernando Vargas (26-3, 22 KOs), two-time world champion
TV
HBO Pay-Per-View, $49.95
At stake
Nontitle 12-round junior middleweight rematch
Time/site
Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Doors open 4 p.m., pay-per-view begins 6 p.m.
Tickets
$200 to $800, MGM Grand Garden Arena box office, ticketmaster.com
betting line
Mosley -200 Vargas +170
undercard
Daniel Ponce De Leon (28-1, 26 KOs) vs. Sod Looknongyangtoy (27-1, 10 KOs), for the WBO super bantamweight title; Juan Diaz (29-0, 14 KOs) vs. Randy Suico (24-2, 21 KOs), for the WBA lightweight title; plus four other bouts
Doing it again
It figured to be a one-time meeting between Southern California boxing icons Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas on Feb. 25 at Mandalay Bay. Both were well-known to fight fans and each other as they rose through the amateur ranks and made their names and fortunes as professionals. Two factors prompted a rematch: strong pay-per-view sales of the first fight, and a controversial ending. Mosley won by 10th-round TKO due to Vargas' badly swollen left eye. Mosley said his effective right hands caused the swelling. Vargas claimed it was head butts. "There is no sense going back and forth about it," Mosley said. "Just look (on the tape) and you can see what it was."
Family affair
Mosley brought back his father, Jack, as his trainer for the rematch. Jack guided Shane's career from his youth until 2004, when the two parted ways. Both say it was purely a business decision and that they remained close in their personal lives. "It was a little tough not having that connection," Shane said. "I'd rather have my father training me than anyone. I think it brings the family that much closer. It makes us stronger. We all come as a team."
Clash of styles
As he promised he would, Vargas tried to bully Mosley with muscle and relentless pressure in their first fight. In a mild surprise, Mosley, despite his smaller stature, stood his ground and went toe-to-toe with Vargas. Even so, Mosley's best strategy in the rematch would be to stand clear and use his signature hand and foot speed. Vargas' trainer, Danny Smith, acknowledged as much. Mosley "is very fast and very quick and very comfortable with the distance," he said. "We have to eliminate the distance and make him fight."
Sterling legacy
Vargas' manager, Rolando Arellano, jumped to his fighter's defense this week in response to comments made by Richard Schaefer of Mosley's promotional team that challenged Vargas' career legacy. ("If he loses this fight, what was he really?" Schaefer said. "A guy that sold a lot of tickets.") Arellano, pointing out that Vargas was the youngest junior middleweight champ ever and a two-time world champ, said, "His legacy has been stated." Vargas, known for his hot temper, was uncharacteristically diplomatic: "There's a mutual respect between us. We don't have to say anything; we just have to get in there and fight."
Moving on
It's all but a sure thing that Mosley and Vargas will never meet again in the boxing ring after Saturday. Mosley, 34, plans to return to the 147-pound division, where potential mega-bouts await against a couple of undefeated fighters - Ricky Hatton, the WBA welterweight champ, and Floyd Mayweather Jr., the IBF belt-holder. Vargas, 28, is headed for the middleweight class, a better fit for him physically. "We got together to have our historical meetings, and this'll be it, win, lose or draw," Mosley said.
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