BOXING Vanderpool pats self on back for Vargas 'opportunity'
The junior middleweight fight will be televised tonight on HBO.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Fitz Vanderpool wants it known that as the WBC's No. 1 junior middleweight contender, he's giving Fernando Vargas a great opportunity.
That's an interesting point of view considering Vargas will enter the ring tonight a prohibitive favorite.
While Vargas will be fighting for the first time since losing his grudge match to Oscar De La Hoya last September, Vanderpool will be getting the biggest opportunity of a 101/2-year professional career.
"They are taking me lightly, but that's fine," Vanderpool said. "I know what I'm capable of doing. I will take care of business inside the ring. It's the coming out of Fitz 'The Whip' Vanderpool."
Vanderpool weighed 154 pounds and Vargas 156 at Friday's weigh-in. The junior middleweight maximum is 154, but the contractual limit for the non-title fight was 157.
The 10-round bout at the sold-out 6,700-seat Grand Olympic Auditorium will follow a 12-rounder between IBF junior featherweight champion Manny Pacquiao and unbeaten challenger Emmanuel Lucero.
HBO telecast
The fights will be televised by HBO.
"This has been the first real training camp that Fitz Vanderpool has ever had -- nine weeks locked up in a dungeon training," manager Grant Phillips said. "He's ready. We will win."
The 35-year-old Vanderpool, 24-4-4 with 13 knockouts, has won 16 of his last 17 fights, but hasn't faced anyone close to the caliber of Vargas.
"Those 16 guys, I can beat with this gut," said Buddy McGirt, hired recently as Vargas' co-trainer, as he lifted his shirt.
Vargas, 22-2 with 20 knockouts, has lost two of his last four bouts -- to Felix Trinidad and De La Hoya with at least one version of the world junior middleweight championship at stake.
The 25-year-old Vargas is rated as the No. 3 challenger to De La Hoya by the WBC -- behind Vanderpool and Shane Mosley.
Vargas will be fighting in Southern California for the first time since making his pro debut in his hometown of Oxnard nearly 51/2 years ago.
Reborn
"I feel like I have had a rebirth," he said. "I'm going to be shaking and baking in the ring. People are going to see a different kind of fighter when I get in the ring. I'm going to be intelligent, not go out and be crazy. You're going to see me putting punches together and doing a lot of moving in the ring."
Vargas was suspended nine months and fined $100,000 for testing positive for steroids following the De La Hoya fight. Vargas says he thought he was taking nutritional supplements, not steroids.
The winner probably will fight Javier Castillejo next. If Vargas beats Vanderpool and Castillejo, there's a good possibility a fight with De La Hoya will follow.
"The target date is next May for De La Hoya if all goes according to plan," said Carl Moretti, vice president and matchmaker for Main Events.