Both these guys ran as fast as they could to get served by Tito and I think it pretty much ruined both their careers Who would have won between the two and would their careers have turned out any different if they had squared off against each first before getting victimized by Trinidad
Reid was rushed because of his droopy eyelid. It was always gonna shorten his career no matter what, so the Trinidad fight was essentially his cash out. With Vargas though, he appeared ready, and going in many saw it as a 50-50 fight. In any case, Vargas was better than Reid and would have won a clear decision.
Going back to Trinidad-Vargas, not sure how many of you were around boxing forums in 2000, but that matchup was the most split I've ever seen in terms of debates going into a big fight. Boxing message boards were truly at their peak at that time, and there were some great debates on both sides.
Fwiw, I picked Reid to beat Tito and Tito to beat Vargas. I still think Reid came closer. He commanded the first six rounds or so.
I didnt have internet in my home until 2006 but I so remember the 50/50 aspect. For me it was only a question of whether Tito could take the punch at 154. It was a big question mark, but I always thought of him as vastly superior in every category to Vargas who was still fresh out of middle school if I remember correctly
Fresh outta middle school? No, Vargas was a grown man - just a young man. He was 22, if I'm not mistaken. Tito was also still relatively young - he was only 27. That's like a foreign thing in 2020 boxing. A superfight where both guys are young, and in their physical primes.
Vargas was moved along fast too, probably because Main Events was worried about him ending up in jail or worse. He was doing crazy stuff like breaking into people's houses and beating them up with golf clubs. Not that I think he ever would have been ready to beat a prime/near-prime Tito. Vargas was better than Reid though. Not as fast or athletic but more technically sound and a better fighter. He would take his licks in the process but win a UD.
