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Fernando Vargas is attended to in his corner after losing to Shane Mosley in the sixth round of their junior middleweight non-title boxing rematch at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, July 15, 2006.
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Floored by Mosley, Vargas looks ahead to wedding ring
By Tim Smith, New York Daily News
July 17, 2006
LAS VEGAS -- There really wasn't much for Fernando Vargas to say after his loss to Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand on Saturday night.
He had not seen the devastating left hook that rocked him to his foundation and eventually led to the sixth-round TKO. So there was nothing to report there. His boxing future was equally hazy after having lost twice to Mosley on technical knockouts in a five-month span - the second worse than the first.
About the only thing Vargas could talk about with any certainty were his impending nuptials.
"I got one date - and that is Aug. 5, when I get down with my queen (fiancee Martha)," Vargas said. "Then, after that, we'll talk (about boxing)."
At least that part of Vargas' future is bright.
For Mosley (43-4, 37 KOs) his biggest decision will be whether to resist the temptation to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in November rather than take the rest of the year off. And if he does take the fight, whether to fight at welterweight or meet at a catch weight of 150 pounds.
Mosley, 34, didn't do anything to hurt his future boxing prospects. The devastating way that he unloaded on Vargas may have even raised his stock. It was only six months ago - before the first fight Mosley had with Vargas - that many thought he was damaged goods because of his two losses to Winky Wright. But Mosley reinvigorated himself by dropping back down to welterweight and parted company with his father, Jack, as his trainer.
Mosley rehired his father for his rematch with Vargas and promised to be more explosive as Jack Mosley had put power boxing back on the menu at training camp. It worked against Vargas.
"It does boost my confidence to know I can knock out bigger guys," Mosley said. "I have better snap on my punches with my father coming back and doing the power boxing stuff. My power is coming back."
Vargas, 28, was not the same boxer that he was when they first fought. That match back in February was stopped in the 10th round after Vargas' left eye swelled so badly that he couldn't see Mosley's rights coming.
Vargas (26-4, 22 KOs) said he got tired during Saturday's bout, which may have had something to do with him having to lose upwards of 30 pounds to get down to the 154-pound limit. At the weigh-in on Friday afternoon, Vargas had rippling muscles on his torso. But his stomach was sunken and his pelvic bones protruded through the skin. HBO had the boxers step on their scales before the fight and Vargas was back up to 168 pounds.
"People don't understand what it takes for me to get down to 154 pounds," Vargas said. "You'll never see me at 154 pounds again . . . I'm at 5 percent body fat. It's the last time you'll see me this lean. I'm Mexican. I want to eat. I love to eat."
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