why was vargas ever considered elite?

Basically because he was a highly touted amateur who won a world title pretty fast and showed pretty good skills in addition to his heart and fighting temperment.

Winky (who was not green as you said) didn't look like a good performance at the time, but we saw later how good Winky really is and the fight was close even if you disagreed with the decision (I had it 7-5 for W.W.)

It's true that Quartey hadn't fought in over a year and was moving up, but he was also inactive for a year and a half when he fought Oscar and arguably won the fight. Vargas beat Quartey clearly, and he showed a good assortment of skills, even outjabbing Quartey.

 

I don't think he was every actually considered "Elite". He was very good and had alot of promise and was also a fan pleasing fighter the way he fought but I don't think people considered him Elite.

 

because he was, his elite time was short lived but he was elite.

 

a close fight with Winky

the first one who clearly beat Quartey

he was rushed to soon by his management,he should have waited another year before fighting Tito

 

Winky was 28 and had 41 pro fights. He wasn't green, he just wasn't really known.

And he's probably on the downside right now, really.

 

No he was a B+ boxer at best.

 

His only losses are against probably HOF'ers and was highly competative in all but the second Shane bout. . . while he may not be considered "great" - he was obviously "elite" IMO.

 

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You're saying that because you're looking at his boxing record instead of watching his fights. His career is finished now, but in the late nineties he was definitely an elite fighter. The reinvented version of him that we see now is only a mere shell of his former self. As someone said above me, he was just brought along a little too quickly that's all.

 

he beat quartey convincingly. won a close fight with winky wright. give trinidad hell and oscar dlh. was shot when he fought mosley

Thomas Hearns lost to the only two elite fighters he ever thought. you goin to tell us that he wasn't elite

 

I was going to mention the Tommy Hearns comparison as well. :good

According to OP, Tommy was just a journeyman as well.

 

I thought he was pretty good, but certainly not "elite". I was never really that impressed by him, though he had a few good victories. He was overrated IMO.

 

Tommy Hearns destroyed Duran, so not quite. But still Vargas's only losses were against future HOF fighters, and were all very competetive except for the second fight against Mosley

He beat Winky too, fair and square. The controversy surrounding that fight is overblown, Vargas decisively won the last 3 rounds and the fight was very close up until that point. You'd have to have Winky up 7-2 going into the championship rounds to give him the win and it wasn't that lopsided