Vargas Lets His Fists Do the Talking

At least Ross Thompson learned something Saturday night.

He found out Fernando Vargas is a lot harder to hit when he knows the punch is coming, is wearing boxing gloves and is moving in the ring, rather than standing on a platform.

Thompson also learned he is no match for the International Boxing Federation junior middleweight champion.

Vargas, still fuming about the sucker punch Thompson landed in Thursday’s prefight news conference, took his anger out on Thompson on Saturday at the Mandalay Bay Events Center, knocking the IBF’s No. 1 contender down three times before referee Joe Cortez stopped the fight at 1:07 of the fourth round.

Before the stoppage, Vargas landed ten unanswered punches on the defenseless Thompson as he crouched against the ropes.

The victory clears the way for Vargas to meet Felix Trinidad on Dec. 2.

“I’m going to be Felix Trinidad’s worst enemy,” Vargas said.

There was danger going into Saturday’s fight that Vargas would be concentrating too much on Trinidad and not enough on the lightly regarded Thompson.

But Thompson made sure that wasn’t going to happen by landing punches on the lips of Vargas and Vargas’ promoter, Gary Shaw, in Thursday’s wild press gathering. Thompson also conducted a non-stop tirade against Vargas all week long, calling the unbeaten fighter (20-0, 18 knockouts) “a bum.”

The Nevada State Athletic Commission removed $10,000 from Thompson’s $300,000 purse for instigating the fight at Thursday’s news conference.

But a bigger loss awaited Thompson.

Vargas, who prides himself on maintaining control in the ring, briefly lost it in front of the crowd of 5,327.

He at first refused to touch gloves with Thompson, the traditional gesture offered by the fighters at the start of a bout. Vargas finally, grudgingly touched gloves when ordered to do so by Cortez.

“I lost my cool a little bit,” Vargas admitted.

Vargas appeared to be tight the first two rounds, and Thompson took advantage with an awkward style that included leaping forward with his head down, causing Vargas to hit him several times on the back of the head.

But by the third round, Thompson looked every bit the heavy underdog when Vargas controlled his emotions, found his rhythm and went about the business of putting his opponent away.

A left-right combination put Thompson down in the third round. At the end of the round, a flurry of Vargas punches left Thompson in a heap in his corner.

As the bell sounded, Thompson struggled to get to his feet as Cortez continued the count. With Thompson backed up against the ropes in his own corner, one of his handlers inserted a stool, hoping to enable the fighter to sit. But Cortez ordered the stool removed until Thompson had regained his footing on his own.

There was nothing Thompson’s corner could do to protect him in the fourth round. A right hand by Vargas put him down early in the round. Vargas, still incensed, had to be grabbed by Cortez and directed to a neutral corner.

Then came the final, ferocious flurry.

Afterward, his legs and his hopes of a title gone, Thompson also abandoned his hyperbole and admitted what the rest of the boxing world already knows: Vargas is a tremendous fighter.

The postfight news conference was far different from what the prefight conference had been. Thompson spoke softly and earnestly. And this time, he only had nice things to say about Vargas.

“I gave him what I had,” Thompson said. “Fernando Vargas, you are a great fighter. You are a true champion and you deserve the props. You are going to go on to be one of the top fighters in the world.”

In the postfight atmosphere, Vargas, too, had changed his attitude. Gone was the anger he had flashed in the ring.

“It takes a real man to say he was wrong,” Vargas said. “I am not going to give him any negative comments. I spoke with my left and right hand.”

Besides, Thompson was already in his rearview mirror. And Trinidad lies dead ahead.

The purpose of the semi-main event was to fill the vacant IBF welterweight title.

But after Saturday night’s fight, it remains vacant.

The bout was stopped at 1:45 of the third round and ruled no contest after heavily favored Vernon Forrest (31-0, 25 knockouts) butted Raul Frank (23-3-1, 12 knockouts), opening a deep cut on the right side of Frank’s forehead. Frank, blooding streaming down his face, was unable to continue.

The butt was ruled accidental. A fight must go four full rounds before the scorecards can be used to determine a winner in such a case.