Oscar Gets Off the Hook

A feud that began in a cold snow bank in Big Bear ended under the hot lights of the Mandalay Bay Events Center on Saturday night, Fernando Vargas, blood flowing from a cut under his right eye, defenseless against the ropes as the man he has repeatedly professed hatred for, Oscar De La Hoya, responded with 16 unanswered punches.

Finally, mercifully, referee Joe Cortez stepped in and ended the match at 1:48 of the 11th round, allowing De La Hoya to retain his World Boxing Council 154-pound championship, capture the World Boxing Assn. 154-pound title and settle this much-hyped Southern California feud that had been labeled “Bad Blood.”

Both fighters shed blood, De La Hoya’s nose sporadically bleeding, but there was nothing bad about this fight, a much-hyped match that lived up to expectations for a change.

When it was over, De La Hoya (35-2, 28 knockouts), who hadn’t fought in 15 months and had lost to his last two big-name opponents--Felix Trinidad and Shane Mosley--had stepped up to a new level, proving that he could not only regain the form that had earned him the nickname Golden Boy, but could also could regain the power he had possessed at the lower weight divisions. He had the only knockdown, moments before the finish, with a solid left hook.

Vargas (22-2), on the other hand, failed to prove wrong those critics who questioned his chin after he had been knocked down five times by Trinidad and once by light-hitting Wilfredo Rivera.

The fight had been billed as De La Hoya’s superior speed and boxing ability against Vargas’ power. It was thought that De La Hoya had to stay out of Vargas’ reach, use his superior jab, cut up Vargas, frustrate him and stay out of reach of those potentially damaging right-hand punches.

In the first round, Vargas seemed to have torn those pages out of De La Hoya’s playbook. He burrowed in with a left-right combination, nearly put De La Hoya down, bruised his cheek and perhaps battered his confidence. Only the ropes, it appeared, prevented De La Hoya from going down.

Vargas had predicted his power would prove overwhelming. He had strutted around at the weigh-in as if he were preparing for a bodybuilding contest.

Had De La Hoya’s promise to use his right hand more effectively than ever and display the defensive tactics taught him by trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. been just so much prefight gibberish?

“Vargas was very strong,” De La Hoya said. “I had to be patient, go to the body and use combinations. He really surprised me.”

In the second round, De La Hoya came out with the form he had promised, his jab working smoothly, his footwork sharp, his defensive skills on display.

And so it went from round to round, first Vargas coming on, and then De La Hoya responding in the ensuing round.

After the fifth round, De La Hoya’s nose bleeding, blood smeared on his face, Vargas’ corner was in a celebratory mood.

“He’s yours,” Eduardo Garcia, Vargas’ trainer, told him in the corner. “He’s liable to quit. You got him.”

But few celebrations in the back-and-forth match lasted more than a round until the end.

In the sixth, De La Hoya opened the cut under Vargas’ eye and, by the ninth round, De La Hoya seemed in command.

But suddenly, he seemed to fade. He was backtracking, he looked tired and he was sitting on his lead.

Hadn’t this act been seen before? Was the sellout crowd of 11,425 viewing a replay of De La Hoya’s 1999 match against Trinidad when he danced away for the final three rounds and gave away the match?

Not this time.

Instead, De La Hoya dug down and found a reservoir of strength he had not shown since he beat Ike Quartey. And in the 10th round, there was a familiar look on Vargas’ face, the look of fatigue. Vargas looked as he had in December of 2000 when Trinidad had demolished him.

At the end of the 10th round, De La Hoya delivered his most telling blow of the fight to that point, a left hook that staggered Vargas, perhaps only the bell saving him from more serious damage.

That damage came in the 11th round.

De La Hoya, as he has all his career, won the fight with his left hand. A devastating left hook sent Vargas to the canvas with such force that his head bounced. De La Hoya was so confident victory was within his grasp that he did a little dance before heading to the neutral corner.

His confidence proved justified.

Vargas got up, but his evening was over. The feud was about to be settled.

According to Vargas, an Oxnard fighter, it had begun in 1993 when his hero, De La Hoya from East Los Angeles, refused to help him up after he had fallen in the snow while doing roadwork, laughing instead as he ran by. De La Hoya claimed he didn’t recall the incident.

No matter, Vargas began a campaign to fight De La Hoya that took almost a decade to complete.

“I don’t understand why Vargas was talking so much. It doesn’t make sense,” De La Hoya said. “Imagine Tiger Woods talking bad about Jack Nicklaus. You should show it in the ring. Let your fists do the talking. Tonight my fists did the talking.”

There was certainly no affection demonstrated between the fighters before the match, their only contact being a shoving match at a January news conference.

And there was no contact after the fight, Vargas departing without speaking, heading for a nearby hospital for a precautionary examination.

Two of the judges, Paul Smith and Doug Tucker, had De La Hoya ahead, 96-94, when the fight ended, as did The Times. One judge, Patricia Jarman-Manning, had Vargas ahead, 97-94.

Whatever she was looking at, she missed a heck of fight.

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(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOXES)

The 11th Round

What happened: Leading 96-94 on the scorecards of judges Paul Smith and Doug Tucker and losing 97-94 on Patricia Jarman-Manning’s card, De La Hoya delivered the first hard punch of the round with a left hook. He topped its effectiveness with another that dropped Vargas to the mat during the first minute of the round. Referee Joe Cortez gave Vargas an eight count. De La Hoya charged Vargas toward the corner with a 16-punch combination--left, right, left, right--until Vargas turned away. When the blows continued, Cortez stepped in and stopped the fight.

*

Round-by-round description of Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas super welterweight world championship fight (J-Judge; T-Times staff writer; D-De La Hoya; V-Vargas):

*--* ROUND 1 Scoring D V

*--*

The stone-faced De La Hoya lands the first punches, a three-punch series to Vargas’ stomach. He follows with a clean left hook, right cross combination, and presses with a series of jabs. The pro-Vargas crowd chants his last name and he responds suddenly, cramming De La Hoya to the ropes near the left of De La Hoya’s corner. Vargas delivers a punishing left to the body, left to the head and right to the head that nearly dumps De La Hoya between the second and third ropes. Vargas capitalizes with a hard right to De La Hoya’s left eyebrow area.

*--* J--Smith 9 10 J--Tucker 9 10 J--Jarman-Manning 9 10 T--Springer 9 10 T--Harvey 9 10

*--*

*--* ROUND 2 Scoring D V

*--*

The energy subsides during the first half of the round. Vargas delivers a stiff left that knocks De La Hoya’s head backward. De La Hoya sneaks in a right, but searches in vain for an effective punch or combination. In the final 10 seconds, Vargas plants a hurtful left on De La Hoya’s head.

*--* J--Smith 10 9 J--Tucker 10 9 J--Jarman-Manning 10 9 T--Springer 10 9 T--Harvey 10 9

*--*

*--* ROUND 3 Scoring D V

*--*

De La Hoya lands a nice jab to the head, but Vargas dominates throughout the rest of the minutes. His stiff jab leads to a big right, a punishing flurry that leaves De La Hoya against the ropes again. Vargas’ big left adds insult to injury, a jab hurts De La Hoya further. De La Hoya is keeping his gloves tight to his body, as if he needs rest after the punishment. Vargas continues firing good punches, including some big rights. De La Hoya’s left-right combo near the end is a weak afterthought.

*--* J--Smith 9 10 J--Tucker 9 10 J--Jarman-Manning 9 10 T--Springer 9 10 T--Harvey 9 10

*--*

*--* ROUND 4 Scoring D V

*--*

De La Hoya wants to rely on his hand speed. His fast combinations score points. De La Hoya gets in a nice left uppercut and big right, then removes himself from harm. De La Hoya reaches for Vargas’ forehead with an effective left.

*--* J--Smith 10 9 J--Tucker 10 9 J--Jarman-Manning 10 9 T--Springer 10 9 T--Harvey 10 9

*--*

*--* ROUND 5 Scoring D V

*--*

De La Hoya sticks to the jab. Vargas sticks to his effective right, ducking in a hard punch to the face. He unleashes a hard right, then slings a left. His punches are more deliberate and more powerful. Vargas’ right eye is swelling, but he isn’t fazed. He corners De La Hoya, beating him with brutal efficiency.

*--* J--Smith 9 10 J--Tucker 9 10 J--Jarman-Manning 9 10 T--Springer 9 10 T--Harvey 9 10

*--*

*--* ROUND 6 Scoring D V

*--*

Vargas starts impressively, jamming a left hook to De La Hoya. There is a cut under Vargas’ right eye. De La Hoya is obviously searching to deliver a fast series of punches. Vargas delivers a strong combination in the final five seconds of the round. But De La Hoya smacks Vargas with a strong right after the bell. An upset Vargas opens his mouth in complaint. De La Hoya tries to touch gloves as an apology. Vargas refuses.

*--* J--Smith 10 9 J--Tucker 10 9 J--Jarman-Manning 9 10 T--Springer 10 9 T--Harvey 10 9

*--*

*--* ROUND 7 Scoring D V

*--*

De La Hoya starts with a left to Vargas’ forehead, later adding a jab. The fighters are working hard, sweat is flying from the heads on every landed punch. De La Hoya’s famed left hook lands. Vargas answers with his big right and two good jabs. Yet, a hard right punch stings Vargas and a big right takes a big toll. Vargas motions as if he’s fine, banging his gloves together and nodding De La Hoya forward. Vargas sneaks in a hard right.

*--* J--Smith 10 9 J--Tucker 10 9 J--Jarman-Manning 9 10 T--Springer 10 9 T--Harvey 10 9

*--*

*--* ROUND 8 Scoring D V

*--*

De La Hoya is seizing the fight. A hard right hand and two landed jabs back up Vargas. The first obvious chants of “Oscar” are heard. His jabs knock Vargas’ head backward. Two big shots to the body and a good right are followed by another hard left to Vargas’ midsection. Vargas is slowing down after being hit in the head again. De La Hoya is eyeing openings. Vargas’ cut eye is bleeding what appears to be a long, red tear.

*--* J--Smith 10 9 J--Tucker 10 9 J--Jarman-Manning 10 9 T--Springer 10 9 T--Harvey 10 9

*--*

*--* ROUND 9 Scoring D V

*--*

Two Vargas rights cause De La Hoya to withdraw. Vargas moves in, punching. De La Hoya retreats, looking to defend and counterpunch. Vargas swings and lands a right to De La Hoya’s head, but the action slows, setting up the so-called “championship rounds.”

*--* J--Smith 9 10 J--Tucker 9 10 J--Jarman-Manning 9 10 T--Springer 9 10 T--Harvey 9 10

*--*

*--* ROUND 10 Scoring D V

*--*

De La Hoya’s big left hook knocks Vargas back. Still, Vargas is charging ahead, De La Hoya is backtracking. He stops, sneaks in a big left, then a punishing body combination of three punches, followed by a telling left hook to the head that makes Vargas backpedal and buckles his knees.

*--* J--Smith 10 9 J--Tucker 10 9 J--Jarman-Manning 10 10 T--Springer 10 9 T--Harvey 10 9

*--*

*--* ROUND 11 Scoring D V

*--*

The crowd is more charged than ever before the round starts. The second of De La Hoya’s two left hooks knocks Vargas down next to the neutral corner. De La Hoya jumps to the other neutral corner as an eight count is delivered. De La Hoya pounces seconds later, pounding Vargas in De La Hoya’s corner with a 16-punch barrage that started with a hard left. Vargas looks as if he’s trying to turn his head away from the flurry. After more punishment, referee Joe Cortez steps in to stop the fight, a technical knockout with 1:12 left.

*--* J--Smith -- -- J--Tucker -- -- J--Jarman-Manning -- -- T--Springer -- -- T--Harvey -- --

*--*