PROSPECT WATCH: EMILIANO VARGAS
“One day, when Emiliano was a kid, maybe 10 or 11, he says, ‘Dad, teach me how to fight as a southpaw.’ I taught him. Now he knows both guards. If he has a problem figuring out a guy, he just turns southpaw. He can do the whole fight as a southpaw if he
career, becoming the youngest ever to win a junior middleweight title at 21 when he stopped Yory Boy Campas in 1998 and then beat Raul Marquez, Winky Wright and Ike Quartey in succession during the following two years.
loves the gym. He loves to do the roadwork. “I’m going on a 10-mile run after this interview,” he said like a kid on his way to Disneyland. And, more than anything, he loves winning. As he put it, he’s addicted not to foreign substances but having his hand raised. And he doesn’t plan to break the habit.
wants. He’s that talented. And he does everything I tell him to do, everything.” That last comment wouldn’t surprise Bradley, who said Vargas shows improvement every time he sees him fight. The young man obviously works hard at his craft. And just as important, he said, father and son “are working on the right things.” Of course, this has been the routine for more than a decade, which has produced as complete a fighter as you’re going to see in a 21-year-
He completed his first 10-rounder against Jonathan Montrel on November 15 in San Luis Potosi, Mexico, winning a shutout decision. Now it’s on to bigger fights and a chance to win a world title before the end of the new year, meaning he’d wear a major belt at only 22. “Write it down!” he said. “2026 world champion. Let’s get it!” After that? No limit. “I really fell in love with winning after my first amateur fight,” Vargas said, “the feeling
Winning has become an addiction for Vargas, who is 16-0 (13 KOs).
old. He has no obvious weaknesses. However, when Bradley was asked whether there is anything in Vargas’ formidable arsenal that stands out, he didn’t hesitate to answer. “He’s a hell of a counterpuncher,” Bradley said. “I think that sets him apart. He has great vision in the ring, great timing. He really has it all – speed, power, great left hook. He reminds me of a young De La Hoya, although I think he might be looking better at the same point of their careers. “… And I love his mentality. He’s confident but not cocky, not arrogant. He says all the right things. He doesn’t drink, he doesn’t do drugs, he doesn’t stay out late at the bar. He’s a serious young man. Man, he’s 21 years old, but he seems like he’s 30. He seems like a grown man. I think that has to do with everything he’s gone through, looking at the mistakes his father made and listening to his father. “He knows certain things brought down his dad. He knows if he stays away from that, with his skills and work ethic, he could accomplish more than his father.” The elder Vargas had a hell of a
of putting everything into something and then seeing the fruits of that. If I do something, I want to be the absolute best. And I realized along the way that, ‘Hey, I AM good at this.’ And I never looked back. I believe this run in the Vargas dynasty can be the best run yet. I feel what my father did … it’s hard to fill those shoes. But I’m going in with my own shoes. I’m expecting nothing less than greatness for myself. “… I’m happy to hear what my promoter said,” he went on, referring to Arum’s comparison to De La Hoya. “My promoter has not just had many world champions, he’s a legend in the sport. So that speaks volumes. I’m blessed to hear it. Now I just have to continue to do what I’ve been doing. I have to become a world champion a couple of times and cement my legacy in the history books. I want to be one of the faces or THE face of boxing.” Arum has one bit of advice: Be patient. “Stay on course,” he said. “Don’t get overly ambitious. We’ll bring him along fight by fight. Then, when he’s ready, like Oscar, he’ll beat everybody in front of him.”
Vargas has skills and ring IQ that belie his years.
early 2000s and ultimately landed in the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Arum and others believe Vargas has all the ingredients to go down a similar path, although they acknowledge that he’s just getting started. “I think he’s very talented, very skilled,” said Hall of Famer Tim Bradley, who has worked as a TV analyst for most of Vargas’ fights. “More importantly, he has his head on right. A lot of times, kids whose father had success are born with silver spoons in their mouth, so to speak. They’re raised up having everything. “I think [Emiliano’s] dad did a great job with the boys, making them earn everything. And he has that Vargas blood in his system. He’s a fighter through and through.” The elder Vargas actually has three sons who fight professionally – Emiliano, Fernando Jr. and Amado – all of whom he trains. However, Emiliano is universally seen as having the most potential, which can be attributed in
good part to the fact he started boxing at a younger age than his brothers. The Vargases had recently moved from Southern California to Las Vegas when Fernando Sr. was asked to hand out trophies at an amateur tournament. He brought 10-year-old Emiliano along. “As soon as he got there, he was mesmerized,” the elder Vargas said. “His eyes were wide open. He says in Spanish, ‘Daddy, I want to do that.’ I say, ‘You don’t want to do that.’ He says, ‘Yes, I do.’ I said, ‘OK, if you ask me after school tomorrow to take you to the gym, I’ll take you to the gym. “The next day I pick him up and he says, ‘Are we going to the gym?’ I became a trainer that day.” And Emiliano became a fighter. He reportedly finished his amateur career with a record of 110-10 and seven national championships. Rather than following the lead of his father – a 1996 Olympian – and pursuing a berth on the U.S. team, though, he opted to turn professional at 18.
However, it was around the time of that streak that drinking started to get the better of him. He lost his title to Felix Trinidad by knockout in 2000 and was never the same. That’s not lost on his son. “Dad was an alcoholic for a time,” said Emiliano. “He put on 100 pounds between camps when he fought [Shane] Mosley. You can’t do that. I have to give him credit, though. He did it all by himself [without the guidance of a father]. It’s not easy knowing right from wrong. He was a young kid who made a lot of money. I give my father props for what he did for my family, for every punch he took for me and my brothers. “… My father tells me all the time, ‘You’re me if I never touched alcohol. I owe it to him to dedicate my life to this. I would be disrespecting my last name if I did otherwise.” Indeed, the younger Vargas loves what he does too much – and is too determined – to risk everything. He
He seems to have made the right move, as he has made a strong impression so far: He has won all 16 of his fights – 13 by knockout (10 inside two rounds) – in a vicious seek-and- destroy style that boxing fans of both genders crave. What makes the young Vargas so good? He was born with speed and athleticism, which he inherited from his father. He has the 120 amateur fights under his belt, which means the fundamentals are part of his muscle memory. And, by all accounts, he’s a straight-A student of the sweet science. He’s a sponge in the gym. For example, one of his strengths is his ability to switch from his natural orthodox stance to a southpaw stance. And, as his father recalled, it was his son’s idea.
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