FELIX TRINIDAD w rsf 12 FERNANDO VARGAS
Dec 2, 2000; Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, NV
MUCH was expected of the super-welterweight unification battle between Trinidad and Vargas, and thankfully it did not disappoint. Two-weight champ Trinidad, who was defending his WBA title, stormed out of the blocks and decked IBF counterpart Vargas twice in the opener. Vargas returned the favour in round four by sending Trinidad to the mat. To make matters worse for Felix, he was also deducted a point for a low blow. The same infringement resulted in another point being taken from Trinidad in the seventh, before Vargas lost a point himself after straying south of the border in the 10th. The incessant see-sawing violence continued into the 12th, where a trio of knockdowns from Trinidad brought a definitive end to a superbly thrilling contest.
DID YOU KNOW? Former Trinidad victim Kevin Lueshing called the Boxing News offices to discuss the brutal conclusion to the bout. He said: “It brought back a horrible memory of how he finished me.”
WATCH OUT FOR: The complete HBO pay-per-view broadcast is available to watch on YouTube. The undercard features the likes of Christy Martin, William Joppy and Ricardo Lopez.