Vargas’ Disdain for Marquez Stems From De La Hoya Feud

If somehow Fernando Vargas were to lose tonight, blame Oscar De La Hoya.

But Vargas isn’t fighting De La Hoya, you say?

Vargas is always fighting De La Hoya, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion. No matter who they put in front of the unbeaten Vargas (16-0, all knockouts), the International Boxing Federation junior-middleweight champion, he sees De La Hoya, talks about De La Hoya, threatens De La Hoya and denigrates De La Hoya, his fellow Olympian, fellow Southern California Latino and archrival.

Take Vargas’ title defense tonight at Caesars Tahoe against Raul Marquez (30-1, 20 knockouts).

Vargas speaks angrily of Marquez because Marquez is a friend of De La Hoya’s and has trained for tonight’s match at De La Hoya’s Big Bear gym.

Vargas was further angered when Marquez showed up with De La Hoya at a Big Bear restaurant where Vargas was appearing. Vargas proceeded to get on a table and taunt and berate both of them.

It is likely Vargas and De La Hoya will one day meet in the ring. But only if Vargas focuses on his upcoming opponents.

Should he get past Marquez, Vargas might fight Ike Quartey, who nearly beat De La Hoya in February. If all goes well, Vargas will face David Reid, the 1996 Olympic gold-medal winner who defeated Kevin Kelly Friday night, next spring.

And then down the road, he likely will get his golden chance at the Golden Boy.

First Marquez, whom Vargas shows little respect. Since neither has fought a list of quality opponents, their respective performances against Yory Boy Campas are the best measuring sticks available. Marquez lost the IBF junior-middleweight title to Campas on an eighth-round technical knockout in 1997 and has fought only twice in the last year and a half. Vargas took that IBF title from Campas in December via a seventh-round TKO in one of seven fights he has had in the last 18 months.

“He says I ran and held against Campas,” Vargas said of Marquez. “It’s called boxing and defense, things Marquez doesn’t do.”

Countered Marquez: “I’ll let my fists do the talking.”

Also on tonight’s Caesars Tahoe card, promising heavyweight David Tua (33-1, 28 knockouts) will defend his United States Boxing Assn. heavyweight title against Gary Bell (21-2, 14 knockouts).

NO LONGER IN OSCAR’S CORNER

De La Hoya is used to getting criticism. He’s accustomed to running into non-believers who tell him he is going to lose. So it’s easy to shrug those people off.

But not this time.

Not when it’s a man who taught him, trained him, made him more aggressive and really knows him.

Not when that man looks him in the eye and tells him something is missing.

That man is Emanuel Steward, one of the most respected trainers in boxing. When he saw De La Hoya at a restaurant in Big Bear recently, Steward pulled De La Hoya aside and expressed his serious concerns about De La Hoya’s chances in his Sept. 18 title match against Felix Trinidad.

“I told him that, the way he fought his last fight [against Oba Carr in May], there is no way he can beat Trinidad,” Steward said. “When he comes back to his corner, [De La Hoya] looks out into space. There is no confidence in his corner. I see a lack of movement out there when he fights. I told him that, if it continues, I can see him losing.

“Oscar told me that he is going to train better and things will be different.”

Keep in mind, of course, that Steward has his own agenda. His shots at De La Hoya’s corner are clearly directed at Robert Alcazar, who regained his role as the chief trainer when Steward was fired from the De La Hoya camp. Although the reason for Steward’s departure has never been fully explained, it is believed that he stepped on too many of the toes of those who hover around De La Hoya.

But still, in the weeks leading up to De La Hoya’s biggest fight, a battle of unbeatens, it can’t do much for his positive approach to have Steward, a man he truly respects, pointing out all the negatives.

TITLE SHOTS

Juan Manuel Marquez, who had hoped to get a featherweight title shot against World Boxing Organization champion Prince Naseem Hamed, instead will get his chance against World Boxing Assn. titleholder Freddie Norwood on Sept. 11 at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Hotel.

That fight will be the semi-main event preceding WBC super-featherweight champion Floyd Mayweather’s title defense against Carlos Gerena.

Hamed had been interested in fighting Johnny Tapia. But the possibility of that matchup ended, at least for now, when Paulie Ayala upset Tapia last month to take the WBA bantamweight crown. Hamed is now close to a deal to fight WBC featherweight champion Cesar Soto on Nov. 6.

International Boxing Federation lightweight champion Shane Mosley is moving up to 147 pounds and is expected to make his welterweight debut Sept. 25 against Wilfredo Rivera.

BASEBRAWL

Bringing new meaning to the term “hit and run,” the Angels and Orange County promoter Roy Englebrecht will stage a boxing show in a ring set up at home plate at Edison Field before Sunday’s game against the San Diego Padres.

The weigh-in will be held on the field before this afternoon’s Dodger-Angel game. Sunday’s six-fight show, with matches ranging from super-welterweight to super-flyweight, will start at 2 p.m. and end at 4, with the first pitch of the baseball game scheduled for 5. One ticket entitles the holder to attend both events.