Vargas Remains Perfect With KO

Fernando Vargas won a battle of former Olympians by knocking out Romalis Ellis in the second round of a junior-middleweight bout Tuesday at Foxwoods Resort Casino.

The Oxnard native is unbeaten since turning pro after the 1996 Olympics. He has knocked out all 11 opponents.

Ellis, a left-handed fighter who won a bronze medal in the 1988 Olympics, fell to 24-4.

“I have been training real hard and watching tapes of [Ellis’] fights, and I’ve been working real hard with left-handers, so I was able to stop him pretty easily,” Vargas said. “I hurt him with some good body shots and head shots. If the referee didn’t stop it, it would have been over because he wasn’t answering any of my punches.”

Vargas, who has had to fight beyond the second round once as a pro, thought Ellis was the best opponent he’s fought.

“He was definitely the most accomplished fighter I’ve fought. He’s been up in the top level,” Vargas said. “I think I’m showing the boxing world who Fernando Vargas is and that I’m the best Olympian from the 1996 Olympics.”

Vargas is scheduled to fight May 9 in Sacramento.