Mayorga and Vargas Get It On

Boxing fans that have purchased over $1 million in tickets to see two-time world champion “El Feroz” Fernando Vargas (26-4, 22 KOs) and three-time world champion Ricardo “El Matador” Mayorga (27-6-1, 22 KOs) in what is anticipated to be a street-style brawl at STAPLES Center will get their chance when the two meet on the day after Thanksgiving on Friday, Nov. 23. Back in July, the combatants barely made it through their promoters’ announcement of their match, which was to have taken place in September, before taunting erupted into a dais-clearing fight with punches being thrown and landed—and some blood from a cut under Mayorga’s right eye. Just two weeks before their scheduled meeting, Vargas was forced to re-schedule the match to Nov. 23 after doctors learned he was suffering from an iron deficiency. “Mayorga can disrespect me all he wants but not my queens [his mother, wife and daughter],” Vargas said. “This will be my last fight for one reason only, for pride. We should have sold tickets to the press conference after the fireworks we had. There will definitely be fireworks in the ring at Staples Center.”The notorious trash-talker Mayorga has shown no signs of turning a new leaf during this promotion.“I’m going to give Vargas the chance to cash his last paycheck. I said publicly that ‘fatty’ [Vargas] has always feared me. I conceded to take this fight at 162 pounds because fatty couldn’t lose any more weight. I told the press he is a fat ass like the Mexican singer Paquita la del Barrio. I agreed to move the weight up to 166 pounds after the postponement so he can eat all the tacos and burritos with cheese and chili like Mexicans do, but only if he agrees to come and fight me toe to toe like a Mexican on Nov. 23.” I will do Vargas a favor by retiring him in this fight so his family doesn’t have to suffer every time he steps in the ring. I’m going to do his wife a favor and not let her cry anymore.” Leaders from two of the most successful boxing promotional firms in history—Don King from Don King Productions and Kathy Duva from Main Events—have joined to promote the event in association with AEG & STAPLES Center & VEP. The event will also be televised live beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT domestically at a suggested retail price of $44.95, which is being distributed by SHOWTIME® PPV. Also featured on the domestic pay-per-view telecast will be International Boxing Federation welterweight champion Kermit Cintron (28-1, 26 KOs), from Reading, Pa., making the second defense of his title against Jesse Feliciano (15-5-3, 9 KOs), from Los Angeles, and former IBF 154-pound champion Roman “Made in Hell” Karmazin (35-2-1, 22 KOs), from St. Petersburg, Russia, now fighting out of Los Angeles, taking on former two-time World Boxing Association super welterweight champion Alejandro “Terra” Garcia (25-2, 24 KOs), from Tijuana, Mexico, for the WBA intercontinental championship. Vargas won his world titles at junior middleweight and is best known for his indomitable will and courageous heart as evidenced by the fact he knocked out his first 17 opponents—including former world champion Raul Marquez. He also won decisions over former (and future) junior middleweight champion Winky Wright and former welterweight world titlist Ike “Bazooka” Quartey. The native of Oxnard, Calif., now 29, became the youngest junior middleweight world champion in boxing history at just 21 years and 5 days when he dethroned “Yory Boy” Campas to win the International Boxing Federation title on Dec. 12, 1998. He is best remembered for two epic clashes: a slugfest featuring six knockdowns with then-undefeated Felix “Tito” Trinidad on Dec. 2, 2000, which won Fight of the Year from the Boxing Writers Association of America and a spirited contest against “The Golden Boy” Oscar De La Hoya on Sept. 14, 2002. Mayorga has captured the hearts and imaginations of boxing fans around the globe due to his full-tilt boxing style and penchant for mixing beer and cigarettes with his training regimen—not to mention the withering verbal assaults opponents endure during the weeks leading up to his matches. Mayorga, 33, hails from Managua, Nicaragua. He burst upon the boxing world in 2002 in his first world title shot against then-World Boxing Association welterweight champion Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis. A virtual unknown at the time, Mayorga taunted his opponent by allowing him to punch him in the face repeatedly with his hands at his waist before sending the champion to the canvas with a thunderous assault in round five that left Lewis unfit to continue in the match. Few could have predicted at the time that Mayorga would shock the world again when he took on BWAA 2002 Fighter of the Year Vernon “The Viper” Forrest, who held the World Boxing Council welterweight title when they met. Forrest appeared to be as perplexed as Lewis when the Nicaraguan bomber smothered him with a barrage of combinations that sent him to the canvas in the first round. Forrest lasted until just the third round before the referee waved off the beating. Mayorga proved he was no fluke by agreeing to an immediate rematch with Forrest where he notched a majority-decision win. Mayorga shares the common opponents of Trinidad and De La Hoya with Vargas.