NICE START, BUT LONG JOURNEY AHEAD.

Byline: MICHAEL ROSENTHAL Boxing

Fernando Vargas' knockout of Fitz Vanderpool on Saturday at a sold-out Olympic Auditorium didn't prove much.

Vanderpool was selected as Vargas' first opponent since his knockout loss to Oscar De La Hoya in September and suspension for using steroids primarily because he wouldn't pose a serious threat. And the WBC's top-ranked junior middleweight - how he got there is anyone's guess - probably was even worse than expected.

Former junior lightweight champ Genaro Hernandez, now a ringside television commentator, was blunt when he said, ``I've seen amateurs better than this guy,'' and he wasn't far off the mark.

Still, Vargas and his handlers have to be pleased.

The Camarillo resident had fought only once (against De La Hoya) in almost two years. In light of that fact, he looked as sharp as can be expected - particularly as the fight went on.

Perhaps caught up in the drama of the evening, he looked stiff in the first round but settled down, fought patiently and efficiently, found a nice rhythm and methodically broke down an outclassed opponent. He had said that this is the type of fighter he wants to be from now on - not a brawler - and for the main part followed through in the ring.

That doesn't mean he's lost his killer instinct. When he had Vanderpool hurt and tired and ready to topple in the sixth, he pounced on him and finished the job. That's another reason for optimism.

On the other hand, Vargas didn't jab as much as he suggested he would after working on it throughout training camp with new trainer Buddy McGirt: He threw only 55 in the fight, according to CompuBox statistics. Against better competition, he'll have to jab more to keep his opponent at bay and set up his power punches.

He also let the emotion of the moment affect him in the ring, particularly early in the fight when he appeared to be trying too hard to please the crowd. A seasoned veteran - in any sport - puts emotion aside completely and focuses solely on his job. Vargas, 25, has been around long enough to know that.

Still, after the fight, McGirt was smiling.

``The main thing is that he's back on track now,'' McGirt said. ``Now, you go the next level. He has everything it takes to be a world champion again.''

Yes, it was a nice start. However, there are many questions to be answered.

Vargas absorbed brutal beatings by De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad the past three years, the kind of beatings from which some fighters never fully recover. And even in his knockout victories over light-punching Wilfredo Rivera and Shibata Flores, Vargas was hurt. That raised the question: Can he still take a punch?

Vanderpool landed a few good shots and Vargas took them, but Vanderpool couldn't knock a lollipop out of a baby's hand: He has 13 knockouts in 24 victories against nobodies, another reason Vargas' handlers liked him as an opponent in his comeback fight.

We'll learn more about Vargas' chin when he's cracked by someone who can punch, although that next someone could be De La Hoya if things go well for Vargas.

The plan is for Vargas to fight again in October in Tucson, Ariz., though an opponent hasn't been selected; face former champ Javier Castillejo in January in an eliminator bout to become the mandatory challenger for De La Hoya's WBC title and then get his rematch with his rival in May.

Vargas took his first step in that direction Saturday, a good step, but the journey continues.

--Olympian crowd: To those around during the intimate building's heyday, the crowd at the Olympic (including a smattering of celebrities) must have brought back wonderful memories. There were no empty seats and the fans were passionate, which created a charged atmosphere rarely seen in boxing. It was a memorable night.

Vargas certainly fed off the energy.

``My fans are crazy. I love them,'' he said.

--Pacquiao watch: The best fighter on the card Saturday wasn't the fighter most of the fans came to see.

Junior featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao, a Filipino who is trained by Freddie Roach in Hollywood, completely outclassed a good, previously unbeaten fighter in Emmanuel Lucero and then stopped him with one punch in the third round. Clearly, Pacquiao, who beat a hot Lehlohonolo Ledwaba to win the title two years ago, is one of the best fighters pound-for-pound in the world.

Negotiations are under way for a fight with featherweight king Marco Antonio Barrera and though Pacqiao would be the underdog, he would have a chance to win.

--Slipping and sliding: Vanderpool slipped three times in the fight, apparently on the slick advertisement embossed on the ring canvas. Afterward, he limped out of the ring because of a twisted ankle with the help of his handlers and the ankle had to be taped before the postfight news conference.

Boxing officials are putting sponsorship dollars ahead of the fighters' safety and integrity of the sport. When is that going to change?

Get rid of the things.

--Wright weighs in: Winky Wright, who lost a controversial decision to Vargas in 1999 and wants a rematch, laid into his rival Sunday in another effort to lure him back into the ring.

``Now I know why Fernando didn't want to fight me, and frankly I agree with him: He's done,'' Wright said. ``Fighting him now would be like shooting fish in a barrel. There's no challenge in it for me. ... He's not ready to fight for a world title. He still needs to be weaned off his steroids. How do you come in at 156 pounds, regardless of a contract, when you're fighting the No. 1 super welterweight contender and then enter the ring at 170 pounds? He didn't train, he drained!''

Vargas weighed in at 156 pounds (under the contractual limit of 157) on Friday but was 170 when he entered the ring Saturday night. Vanderpool, who weighed in at 154, weighed 160 at fight time.

--Amateur watch: Keep an eye on Elias Ventura, a 16-year-old from Van Nuys who recently won the light heavyweight title in the recent junior-national Golden Gloves tournament. Ventura, trained by former world champion Carlos Palomino, is in the Van Nuys Jeopardy Program for at-risk teens. Palomino said the 176-pounder has the talent and dedication to become a successful boxer. And he'll probably end up as a heavyweight.

``He's already 6 feet and his grandfather is like 6-4. He's definitely going to be a heavyweight,'' Palomino said. Palomino said the program and boxing also have turned Ventura from a poor student into a good one.

Another amateur, Angel Garcia of Oxnard, the brother of former world champion Robert Garcia and son of Vargas' trainer, Eduardo Garcia, was runner-up in the 125-pound division at the National Junior Olympic Championships last month in Alexandria, La. Garcia, who went into the tournament with only 11 fights behind him, is trained by his brother and father.

CAPTION(S):

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Photo:

Fernando Vargas, left, connects to the midsection of Fitz Vanderpool in the third round Saturday night.

Gus Ruelas/staff Photographer

Box:

COMING UP

- Michael Rosenthal