BAD BLOOD TO REAL BLOOD DE LA HOYA-VARGAS FEUD FINALLY WILL BE SETTLED.Byline: Michael Rosenthal Assistant Sports Editor Noun 1. sports editor - the newspaper editor responsible for sports news newspaper editor - the editor of a newspaper LAS VEGAS Las Vegas (läs vā`gəs), city (1990 pop. 258,295), seat of Clark co., S Nev.; inc. 1911. It is the largest city in Nevada and the center of one of the fastest-growing urban areas in the United States. - The story has been etched indelibly in modern boxing lore. A teen-aged Fernando Vargas Fernando Vargas (born December 7, 1977 in Oxnard, California) is an American boxer and two-time world champion, who won a bronze medal as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata. His nicknames include "Ferocious" and "The Aztec Warrior". , in Big Bear to visit his idol Oscar De La Hoya Oscar de la Hoya (IPA pronunciation: [ˈɑs.kɛɹ dɛ.lɑ.ˈhɔɪ.jɑ][1]) (born February 4, 1973) — nicknamed the Golden Boy one rainy winter morning, slipped and fell on a group training run. Vargas expected De La Hoya La Hoya is a municipality located in the province of Salamanca, Castile and León, Spain. According to the 2004 census (INE), the municipality has a population of 30 inhabitants. to help him up; instead, he laughed as he ran by. Vargas' response, as the story goes: ``One day I'm going to fight you and you'll be sorry.'' That day is today, when the bitter Los Angeles-area rivals meet for the junior middleweight junior middleweight n. In both senses also called super welterweight. 1. A weight division in professional boxing having an upper limit of 154 pounds (69.3 kilograms), between welterweight and middleweight. 2. championship at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino on pay-per-view television. A lot has happened since that day in the mountains. De La Hoya, boxing's Golden Boy from East L.A., evolved into the biggest moneymaker in history south of the heavyweight division. Vargas, the angry street kid from Oxnard, became the youngest junior middleweight champion ever. And all the while Vargas publicly baited his rival, angling for that chance to exact his revenge and reveling in his ability to irritate his foil. It got so bad De La Hoya vowed he'd never give Vargas the opportunity to fight him. Then, when it became clear a bout with Vargas made sense in his career, De La Hoya changed his mind and made one of the most lucrative - and volatile - matchups in the sport a reality. ``You can only take so much,'' De La Hoya said. De La Hoya (34-2, with 27 knockouts) is a solid 2-1 favorite at Mandalay Bay because of his unusual ability and recent history. At 29, he remains one of the sport's biggest draws and best fighters under his latest trainer, Floyd Mayweather Floyd Mayweather is the name of two persons, father and son:
The WBC WBC white blood cell; see leukocyte. WBC abbr. white blood cell WBC, n stands for white blood cell. champ also is healthy. The fight was scheduled to take place May 4, but De La Hoya injured his chronically weak left wrist during training and had surgery. Now, he said, he's pain free for the first time in years. He also appears to be as motivated as he's been in some time. Clearly, he understands the end of his career is in sight and wants to make the most of the time remaining. Specifically, he's driven by the prospect of rematches with Shane Mosley "Sugar" Shane Mosley (born September 7, 1971) is a boxer from Pomona, California. He has won world titles in three weight divisions and is the only boxer to date to have beaten Oscar de la Hoya twice. and Felix Trinidad, the only fighters to beat him. And he plans to take great pleasure in beating Vargas as a steppingstone step·ping·stone n. 1. A stone that provides a place to step, as in crossing a stream. 2. An advantageous position for advancement toward a goal. to those fights. ``This will be very satisfying,'' said De La Hoya, who weighed in at the 154-pound limit Friday. ``He's done too much talking. All I can do is shut him up in the ring.'' Vargas (22-1, 20 Kos) got his long-awaited fight. The question is: Is he ready? De La Hoya is a clear favorite in good part because of Vargas' past few fights. Vargas gave a brave performance against Trinidad in 2000 but was knocked down five times and took the kind of beating from which some fighters never come back. He subsequently survived a knockdown against Wilfredo Rivera to score a knockout, and then stopped limited Shibata Flores Flores, town, Guatemala Flores (flōrəs), town (1990 est. pop. 2,200), capital of Petén department, N Guatemala. Flores was built on an island in the southern part of Lake Petén Itzá and on the site of the to win the vacant WBA WBA West Bromwich Albion (English Soccer Club) WBA World Boxing Association WBA Weekly Benefit Amount WBA Wisconsin Broadcasters Association (Madison, WI) WBA Wireless Broadband Access title in a mediocre performance. Vargas, who also weighed in at 154, blames the Trinidad setback on his own machismo machismo Exaggerated pride in masculinity, perceived as power, often coupled with a minimal sense of responsibility and disregard of consequences. In machismo there is supreme valuation of characteristics culturally associated with the masculine and a denigration of . He made the ill-advised decision to brawl with one of the sport's best punchers out of pride, and paid the price. And he said the Rivera fight, in which he was hurt badly, was the product of insufficient training. For this fight, Vargas' condition appears to be beyond reproach. Before the fight was postponed, he spent the first two months of the year under house arrest after he was convicted last year on charges of conspiracy to commit assault and had nothing to do but work out. Then, when he resumed training after De La Hoya's surgery, he entered camp in great shape and has honed his body further. Now, he's a chiseled chis·eled or chis·elled adj. Made or shaped with or as if with a chisel: a finely chiseled nose. Adj. 1. rock and beaming with confidence as a result. ``I'm in the best shape of my life,'' he's said about a million times, but no one would argue with him. That might not mean much once they step into the ring, though. Vargas, a junior middleweight his entire career, is the stronger of the two. De La Hoya is believed by many to be the quicker and the more skilled, which could be the difference in the fight. ``I don't have to be stronger,'' De La Hoya said. ``It doesn't matter. As long as I'm smarter and faster than he is, that's all I need.'' ``With this here,'' he said, pointing to his brain, ``I got him. Believe me, I got him.'' Vargas isn't bothered by such talk. The way he sees it, he's the hungrier of the two; he's only 24 and has been eagerly anticipating this fight for almost a decade. A victory tonight would provide monumental gratification and set him up for huge-money fights in the near future. He also has his own credentials, respected skills and impressive victories over such fighters as Ike Quartey Ike "Bazooka" Quartey (born November 27, 1969 in Bukom, Ghana) is a former WBA welterweight boxing champion. Professional career Quartey entered boxing in 1988. He won the WBA Welterweight title on 4 June 1994 against Cristano Espana of Venezuela, with a KO in 11. , Raul Marquez and Yory Campas - all before he turned 23. Some wonder whether he'll lose his cool because of his passion and disdain for De La Hoya, but he dismisses that talk, too, insisting he learned his lesson against Trinidad. And, if nothing else, no one will question Vargas' determination. ``He's 29, pushing 30,'' he said. ``I'm 24. He has to remember how hungry he was when he was 24. I'm hungry. I'm going to beat him. I'd die in the ring before I'd lose to him.'' DE LA HOYA vs. VARGAS At stake: Junior middleweight championship When: Card begins at 6 p.m. Where: Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas TV: Pay-per-view DE LA HOYA vs. VARGAS A comparison of the junior middleweight champions: SKILLS De La Hoya is as gifted as almost any fighter in the world. Vargas' skills shouldn't be underestimated: He's talented and well schooled. Edge: De La Hoya POWER Vargas, a 154-pounder his entire career, is the stronger man and punches harder than De La Hoya, whose power seems to have diminished as he has moved up in weight. Edge: Vargas JAB De La Hoya could pick Vargas apart and keep him at a distance with his quick, stinging left jab Left Jab is a one-hour radio program in the United States, airing on XM Radio Channel 167 (the Air America Radio channel). The show is hosted by David Goodfriend and Mark Walsh. . Vargas knows how to throw the punch, but it doesn't compare to De La Hoya's. Edge: De La Hoya SPEED Everyone who fights De La Hoya is dazzled by his hand speed, and he moves around the ring well. Vargas is no slowpoke slow·poke n. Informal One that moves, works, or acts slowly. Noun 1. slowpoke - someone who moves slowly; "in England they call a slowpoke a slowcoach" slowcoach, stick-in-the-mud, plodder but can't keep up with his rival. Edge: De La Hoya CHIN De La Hoya has been stunned stun tr.v. stunned, stun·ning, stuns 1. To daze or render senseless, by or as if by a blow. 2. To overwhelm or daze with a loud noise. 3. but never seriously hurt in his career. Vargas has been knocked down six times in his past three fights and might be vulnerable. Edge: De La Hoya EXPERIENCE De La Hoya, 29, has been in the game for a decade and has been in 23 title fights, if you count the WBO WBO World Boxing Organization WBO Western Buddhist Order WBO Wehrbeschwerdeordnung WBO World Bamboo Organization (formerly International Bamboo Association) WBO Won by One (Malibu, California; a cappella group) . Vargas, 24, has been a pro six years and has eight title fights. Edge: De La Hoya MOTIVATION Vargas is younger and determined to prove his crushing loss to Felix Trinidad should not define him. De La Hoya wants to solidify his place in boxing history. Edge: Vargas SHARPNESS Because the fight was pushed back four months as a result of De La Hoya's injury, De La Hoya hasn't fought in 15 months and Vargas hasn't fought in a year. Edge: Vargas CORNER Vargas is well schooled and has been with trainer Eduardo Garcia since he was a child. This will be De La Hoya's third fight with Floyd Mayweather Sr. Edge: Vargas CONCLUSION Vargas is hungry, he's tough and he's good. He's just not as good as De La Hoya, who will win the fight with superior speed and skills. PREDICTION De La Hoya by decision. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) OSCAR DE LA HOYA (2 -- color) FERNANDO VARGAS Box: (1) DE LA HOYA vs. VARGAS (see text) (2) DE LA HOYA vs. VARGAS (see text) |
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