Very good win. I don't think Vargas was ever really the same post-Tito. Having said that, he put forth an excellent effort against Oscar and was clearly the bigger man. When you add the fact that Oscar hadn't fully grown into a junior middleweight and Vargas was on steroids, it's a very good win.
Very good. Just. De La Hoya saw how easily Vargas was hurt in his successive fights after Trinidad - he was emphatically floored hard by Rivera with one shot and rocked badly by Flores in "tuneup" fights. Then De La Hoya was willing to face Vargas. When it came to the actual fight Fernando employed little to no head movement whatsoever and tried to bull through De La Hoya. It was a 30 minute roid rage straight out of an after school special. Couldn't have been easier for De La Hoya, and he still had serious trouble with Vargas. De La Hoya dazzled though. The performance itself was damn good.
I rate it as very good. I'd say it was probably Oscar's best, considering he didn't actually get the decision when he deserved it vs Tito and in the second Mosley fight, and considering that I don't believe he deserved the decision vs Quartey and didn't look very impressive vs Sweet Pea. Tito beat a better version of Ferocious, but this was still a very good win. Vargas was clearly bigger, heavier and stronger than Oscar, and then there is the steroid thing to take into account. I thought Oscar weathered the early storm very well, and then boxed brilliantly. Thrilling stoppage too. Considering Oscar's best weight range was in my opinion 135-140, then this was a very very good win coming at 154.
Oscar showed great movement and passions on the ropes in the first round,and stayed totally focused rolling the shoulder and slipping most of the Vargas onslaught.You cant take nothing away from Oscar just because what happened to Vargas in previous fights.Thats boxing.Vargas never looked so good physically (thanks to steroids).Vargas wanted that fight since day one and came in as ready as ever to go to war.He(Vargas) was simply outclassed that nite from a future hall of famer.Great performance by Oscar De La Hoya,and Props to both fighters for giving us a great fight. I would also like to say that IMO,Mayweather Sr had alil something to do with Oscar's success that nite.Oscar showed us some newly found skills that i give credit to Floyd Sr for.De La Hoya and Mayweather Sr were a good combo.
I'd say it was good, but the beating Tito dished out was far more severe, and arguably what led to Vargas downslide.
That's untrue. First of all... the Vargas that fought Oscar was the best Vargas ever, imo. Vargas was roided up and on a completely different level than he was in any of his other fights. It was DEFINITELY a better version of Vargas than Tito beat. Also, Oscar layed just as good of a beating on Vargas. Let's not forget that Oscar even broke Vargas' eye socket in that fight. Vargas loss to Tito is always so blown out of proportion. Yeah, he was brutally dropped and stopped... it happens in boxing. Why people act like Vargas just had to be ruined after it is beyond me and complete nonsense in my mind. If anything... the loss against Oscar was much more devastating to Vargas because that is the fight that he wanted his entire career. Vargas basically made a career out of calling out Oscar and begging for that fight.... trash talking him, ect... That fight was everything to him. In the end though... Vargas ruined himself by ballooning up so horribly in between fights. Most notably AFTER his fight with Oscar. Considering how the Vargas vs Tito fight went... I wouldn't have been surprised if the roided up version of Vargas beat Tito.
