Goddamn......I keep forgettin to look down in this little cubbyhole section. Fletch, I envy you with your tix....Would love to go to this fight. Anyway, here's my take. Fernando Vargas showed me ALOT in the "Winky" Wright fight. Up until then, he had been been fighting a bunch o' tomatoe cans. That was the first fight in which Vargas was tested AND in trouble, and he survived and won a decison. In boxing, this is the true test if I fighter is for real or not. In this day and age, you see tons of boxers with inflated record with a 90% KO percentage in rounds 1-4. To me, that shows me nothing. Anybody can jog to the supermarket, but running to school and back is a different story. I cannot stress enough the difference between the "early" rounds in boxing and the "later" rounds. Completely different ballgame. I could list a hundred guys, with tremendous early power and impressive resumes who, once faced with 5+ rounds, simply folded. Vargas has proven that he can withstand adversity AND go the distance if he has to. For that, he has my respect. Since the Winky Wright fight, he has fought twice, a 12-round decison against a lackluster and disinterested Ike Quartey (for reasons only Ike can answer) and a 4-round KO vs Ross Thompson.
At this point in time, Vargas is (in relation to the upper echilon of fighters) a question mark. Is he hungry? Yes...Does he have KO power? Yes.....Can he go 12 full rounds if necessary? Yes. But, the questions surrounding Vargas is, can he go to war (for 12 rounds if necessary) vs a fighter the calibler of Felix Trinidad? This is, by FAR, Vargas's toughest fight. But, to his credit, he knows it and declares he is prepared.
Felix Trinidad, on the other hand, has a HUGE advantage in experience, going the distance with the likes of De La Hoya, David Reid, Pernell Whitaker, and complete demolitions of Oba Carr, Freddie Pendleton (in his prime), and "Yori Boy" Campas. I have the ultimate of respect for Tito as a fighter. He is quick, very smart, and (despite what Vargas says) is one of strongest finishers in the sport. Alot of folks have suggested that Trinidad has a weak chin, given that he has been knocked down more than his share of times. However, I disagree. I would attribute most of these knockdowns to laziness in defensive mechanics rather than a weak chin. All of Trinidads knockdowns have been of the "flash" variety and he's never been hurt (seriously) in the ring.
This is a very tough fight to call. What you have is a "proven" undefeated fighter in Trinidad vs a somewhat "unproven" (but very dangerous) fighter in Vargas. What I do know, is that it will be one hell of a fight. Trinidad has shown he has what it takes and Vargas (up unitl this point) has passed every test thrown at him. For all you conspiracy theorists out there, Vargas certainly holds the higher upside in both public interest and appeal. However, I've made alot of money backing Trinidad, and he's yet to let me down. I can't see any reason to stop until he loses. Problem: Vargas could possibly be his toughest test to date.
I am going to make a small (very small) wager on Trinidad/Trinidad by KO for shits and giggles and just sit back and enjoy what should be a helluva battle.
PS. Make sure you watch the Ricardo Lopez undercard fight. Probably the best strawweight/flyweight fighter of his generation (if not all time).
At this point in time, Vargas is (in relation to the upper echilon of fighters) a question mark. Is he hungry? Yes...Does he have KO power? Yes.....Can he go 12 full rounds if necessary? Yes. But, the questions surrounding Vargas is, can he go to war (for 12 rounds if necessary) vs a fighter the calibler of Felix Trinidad? This is, by FAR, Vargas's toughest fight. But, to his credit, he knows it and declares he is prepared.
Felix Trinidad, on the other hand, has a HUGE advantage in experience, going the distance with the likes of De La Hoya, David Reid, Pernell Whitaker, and complete demolitions of Oba Carr, Freddie Pendleton (in his prime), and "Yori Boy" Campas. I have the ultimate of respect for Tito as a fighter. He is quick, very smart, and (despite what Vargas says) is one of strongest finishers in the sport. Alot of folks have suggested that Trinidad has a weak chin, given that he has been knocked down more than his share of times. However, I disagree. I would attribute most of these knockdowns to laziness in defensive mechanics rather than a weak chin. All of Trinidads knockdowns have been of the "flash" variety and he's never been hurt (seriously) in the ring.
This is a very tough fight to call. What you have is a "proven" undefeated fighter in Trinidad vs a somewhat "unproven" (but very dangerous) fighter in Vargas. What I do know, is that it will be one hell of a fight. Trinidad has shown he has what it takes and Vargas (up unitl this point) has passed every test thrown at him. For all you conspiracy theorists out there, Vargas certainly holds the higher upside in both public interest and appeal. However, I've made alot of money backing Trinidad, and he's yet to let me down. I can't see any reason to stop until he loses. Problem: Vargas could possibly be his toughest test to date.
I am going to make a small (very small) wager on Trinidad/Trinidad by KO for shits and giggles and just sit back and enjoy what should be a helluva battle.
PS. Make sure you watch the Ricardo Lopez undercard fight. Probably the best strawweight/flyweight fighter of his generation (if not all time).
