Bad Blood Grudge Match Reaches Boiling Point In LA

***With Slideshow***
Click for larger image © Jorge Garcia

Vargas And Mayorga Make Weight, Cintron vs. Feliciano on the Undercard

The ten year career of Fernando Vargas will come to a close tonight in a bad blood bout that could even eclipse the raw hate on display during the lead up to the Oscar De La Hoya fight in 2003.

Yesterday, Vargas, 26-4 (22), and wild man opponent Ricardo Mayorga, 28-6-1 (23), of Nicaragua had to separated by a wall of plexiglass at the official weigh-in but nonetheless continued their rolling, spite filled feud.

Both men scaled a career high 164 lb in preparation for their Showtime PPV bout at Los Angeles' Staples Center and that will likely become an advantage for the bigger Vargas, who was listless when having to make the light middle limit twice in title fight losses to Shane Mosley last year.

Mayorga has achieved his biggest successes at welterweight, wins against Vernon Forrest and Andrew Lewis, by blitzing opponents with his roundhouse punching style.

That hasn't worked so well at higher weights where Mayorga was gunned down at light middle by Oscar De La Hoya and at middleweight by Felix Trinidad.

This should be an exciting fight for as long as it lasts, but despite the anger that Mayorga has generated by insulting Vargas, expect "Ferocious" to patiently pick his shots rather than engaging in the all out slugfest style favored by "The Matador".

On the undercard, Kermit Cintron, 28-1 (26), puts his IBF Welter title at risk for the second time as he faces USBA titlist Jessie Felicano, 15-5-3 (9).

While Feliciano's determination and toughness are beyond question, it's unlikely he will pull off an upset of Cintron, who will have too much in the skill and power department to lose his crown.

A more competitive bout will come in the form of ex-light middle champions Roman Karmazin, 35-2-1 (22), and Alejandro Garcia, 25-2 (24), who will contest a WBA regional title belt over twelve scheduled rounds.

Click to read more boxing articles by Richard Eberline

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