View source for Oscar De La Hoya vs. Fernando Vargas

{{short description|Boxing match}}
{{Infobox boxing match
| Fight Name   = Bad Blood
| image        = [[File:De La Hoya vs Vargas.jpg|230px]]
| caption      =
| fight date   = September 14, 2002
| location     = [[Mandalay Bay Events Center]], [[Paradise, Nevada]], U.S.
| titles       = [[World Boxing Council|WBC]], [[World Boxing Association|WBA]], [[List of boxing organisations|IBA]], and vacant [[The Ring (magazine)|''The Ring'']] [[light middleweight]] titles
| fighter1     = [[Oscar De La Hoya]]
| nickname1    = The Golden Boy
| hometown1    = [[East Los Angeles, California]], U.S.
| purse1       = $15,000,000
| record1      = 34–2 (27 KO)
| age1         = {{age in years and months |February 4, 1973 |September 14, 2002}}
| height1      = 5 ft 10+1/2 in
| weight1      = 154 lb
| style1       = [[Orthodox stance|Orthodox]]
| recognition1 = [[List of WBC world champions#Super welterweight|WBC]]<br>Light Middleweight Champion<br>[[The Ring (magazine)|''The Ring'']] No. 7 ranked [[Pound for pound|pound-for-pound]] fighter<br>[[Triple champion|3-division world champion]]
| fighter2     = [[Fernando Vargas]]
| nickname2    = Ferocious
| hometown2    = [[Oxnard, California]], U.S.
| purse2       = $6,000,000
| record2      = 22–1 (20 KO)
| age2         = {{age in years and months |December 7, 1977 |September 14, 2002}}
| height2      = 5 ft 10 in
| weight2      = 154 lb
| style2       = Orthodox
| recognition2 = [[List of WBA world champions#Super welterweight|WBA]] and [[List of boxing organisations|IBA]]<br>Light Middleweight Champion
| result       = '''De La Hoya''' wins via 11th-round '''[[technical knockout|TKO]]'''
}}
'''[[Oscar De La Hoya]] vs. [[Fernando Vargas]]''', billed as '''''Bad Blood''''', was a professional boxing match contested on September 14, 2002, for the [[World Boxing Council|WBC]], [[World Boxing Association|WBA]], and the vacant ''[[The Ring (magazine)|The Ring]]'' light middleweight championship.<ref>{{cite web |title=Oscar De La Hoya vs. Fernando Vargas |url=https://boxrec.com/wiki/index.php/Oscar_De_La_Hoya_vs._Fernando_Vargas |website=boxrec.com |publisher=BoxRec |access-date=3 October 2024}}</ref>
==Background==
The long-awaited De La Hoya–Vargas bout had been discussed for years. The fight was highly anticipated as not only were De La Hoya and Vargas two of the top fighters in the sport, they also had a long-going personal feud and openly discussed their  hatred for one another. The rivalry was rumored to have stemmed from an incident in which Vargas, while working out at De La Hoya's boxing camp in 1993, supposedly slipped and fell in a snowbank while jogging. When Vargas spotted De La Hoya behind him, he reached out his arm hoping for some help, but De La Hoya simply laughed and continued on, angering Vargas, who held a grudge ever since.<ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2002-09-12-delahoya-vargas_x.htm De La Hoya-Vargas jogging path tale leaves trail of bad blood], ''USA Today'' article, 2002-09-12, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref> In June 2001, De La Hoya defeated [[Javier Castillejo]] to claim the WBC light–middleweight title, his fifth world title in his fifth different weight class. After De La Hoya's victory and after years of bad-mouthing each other, a fight between him and Vargas looked to finally be set for December 8, 2001, but negotiations fell through in August of that year after De La Hoya withdrew his proposal when the two sides couldn't agree on a deal after two weeks of talks.<ref>[https://www.chicagotribune.com/2001/08/10/de-la-hoya-spurns-vargas/ De La Hoya spurns Vargas], ''Chicago Tribune'' article, 2001-08-10, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref> Despite their proposed fight in late 2001 falling through, the two sides continued to negotiate for months afterward before they reached an agreement in January 2002 for a May 4 bout.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-jan-10-sp-boxing10-story.html De La Hoya, Vargas Will Meet at Last], L.A. Times article, 2002-01-10, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref> However, De La Hoya pulled out of the fight a month before it was to take place after sustaining an injury to his left hand, and a week later, the fight was rescheduled for September 14.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/05/sports/plus-boxing-de-la-hoya-pulls-out-of-fight-with-vargas.html De La Hoya Pulls Out Of Fight With Vargas ], ''New York Times'' article, 2002-04-05, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref><ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2002/04/13/sports/plus-boxing-de-la-hoya-vargas-fight-rescheduled.html De La Hoya-Vargas Fight Rescheduled], ''New York Times'' article, 2002-04-13, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref>
==The Fight==
The fight was largely back and forth, with each fighter trading rounds throughout the first six rounds. Vargas was able to bloody De La Hoya's nose after an impressive fifth round; however, De La Hoya stormed back to take rounds six through eight and opened a gash under Vargas' right eye. Vargas regained his form in round nine, but De La Hoya turned up his offense in round 10 and stunned Vargas with a left hook to the head and a combination to the body just before the round ended. In the 11th round, De La Hoya continued to attack Vargas and with just over a minute gone by, sent him down with a left hook. Vargas got up and continued with the fight, but De La Hoya continued his assault, eventually getting Vargas into a corner and unleashing a flurry of punches. As Vargas was not offering much resistance, the referee stepped in and stopped the fight at 1:48, giving De La Hoya the victory by technical knockout.<ref>[http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/sports/boxing/2002-09-15-delahoya-vargas1_x.htm De La Hoya finishes off Vargas in 11th round], ''USA Today'' article, 2002-09–15, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref>
==Aftermath==
Though Vargas expressed his desire for a rematch with De Le Hoya during his post-fight interview, a drug test that was administered the night of the fight revealed that he had tested positive for anabolic steroids.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-sep-28-sp-vargas28-story.html Vargas Drug Test Reveals Steroids], L.A. Times article, 2002-09-23, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref> As a result, Vargas was issued a nine-month suspension by the [[Nevada Athletic Commission]] a month later.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/21/sports/plus-boxing-vargas-suspended-for-positive-test.html Vargas Suspended For Positive Test], ''New York Times'' article, 2002-11-21, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref> After serving his suspension, Vargas returned on July 26, 2003, with a knockout victory over [[Fitz Vanderpool]]. De La Hoya, meanwhile, would next defend his titles against [[Luis Ramon Campas]] on May 3, 2003, winning by seventh-round technical knockout, but losing the titles to [[Shane Mosley]] in his next fight on September 13.
In 2005, there were talks of a rematch between the two.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/news/story?id=2139429 Vargas sets up possible rematch with De La Hoya], ESPN article, 2005-08-25, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref> De La Hoya expressed interest in the bout, provided that Vargas take a pre-fight drug test to prove he was clean.<ref>[https://www.espn.com/sports/boxing/columns/story?id=2156606 De La Hoya wants prefight drug test for Vargas], ESPN article, 2005-09-09, Retrieved on 2014-03-04</ref> However, De La Hoya opted to challenge WBC super welterweight champion [[Ricardo Mayorga]] instead (a fight in which De La Hoya prevailed).
==Undercard==
Confirmed bouts:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxrec.com/en/event/223783|title=BoxRec - event|publisher=}}</ref>
==Broadcasting==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! align=center | Country
! align=center | Broadcaster
|-
| {{flag|United Kingdom}} || [[BBC]] (Delayed)<ref>{{cite web |author1=Sanjeev Shetty |title=Vargas' date with destiny |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/boxing/2245928.stm |website=bbc.co.uk |publisher=BBC |access-date=16 October 2024 |date=9 September 2002}}</ref>
|-
| {{flag|United States}} || [[HBO]]
|}
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
[https://hannibalboxing.com/vendetta-oscar-de-la-hoya-and-fernando-vargas-settle-their-blood-feud/ Vendetta: Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas Settle their Blood Feud, Hannibal Boxing]
{{s-start}}
{{s-bef | before=[[Oscar De La Hoya vs. Javier Castillejo|vs. Javier Castillejo]]}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Oscar De La Hoya]]'s bouts |years=14 September 2002}}
{{s-aft | after=[[Oscar De La Hoya vs. Yori Boy Campas|vs. Yori Boy Campas]]}}
{{s-bef | before=vs. Jose Flores}}
{{s-ttl | title=[[Fernando Vargas]]'s bouts |years=14 September 2002}}
{{s-aft | after=vs. [[Fitz Vanderpool]]}}
{{s-end}}
{{Oscar De La Hoya}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:De La Hoya, Vargas}}
[[Category:2002 in boxing]]
[[Category:2002 in sports in Nevada]]
[[Category:September 2002 sports events in the United States]]
[[Category:Boxing matches at Mandalay Bay Events Center]]
[[Category:Boxing matches involving Oscar De La Hoya|Vargas]]
[[Category:Boxing matches refereed by Joe Cortez]]
[[Category:Boxing on BBC]]
[[Category:Boxing on HBO]]
[[Category:Light middleweight championship matches]]
[[Category:Pay-per-view boxing matches]]