Ahead of the November 21st HBO Pay-Per-View mega-fight between lineal World Middleweight champion Miguel Cotto 34, (40-4 33 KO) of Puerto Rico and Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, 25 (45-1-1 32 KO) set to take place at the Mandalay Bay Hotel & Casino, Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada, former 154 lb titilist Fernando Vargas, -who was on the losing end of of a thrilling titular installment in the heated “Mexico vs Puerto Rico rivalry” against Hall of fame member Felix “Tito” Trinidad in the very same Arena Cotto and Canelo will do battle in back in late 2000 had this to say to El Vocero concerning the legacy of his historic fight with Trinidad, his respect for the fighting cultures of both Mexico and Puerto Rico and finally how Cotto V Canelo stacks up against his encounter with Trinidad.
“It will be a great fight between two great fighters who are very proud, one being Puerto Rican and the other being Mexican,” said Vargas. “Two beautiful cultures, two cultures with a lot of love to their people. It will be a great fight and I will be very happy to be able to watch it. It will be a very tough fight, but it’s going to be difficult to beat my fight with Tito.”
“It will be a big fight. “It will be a clash of styles, which are similar to that of myself and Tito. [The fight are similar because] Tito had a lot more experience and he won many championships, and Canelo, because he is the young man, as I was – but [Canelo]has demonstrated that he can hold his own. It will be a great fight. A big fight for Puerto Rico and Mexico.”
Vargas, now 37 of Oxnard California, last fought in November of 2007. The former 2 time 154 lb titilist dropped a close 12 round decision to former lineal Welterweight champion Ricardo Mayorga in his final bout to end his thrilling career at (26-5 22 KO).
Vargas defeated the surging Yori Boy Campas in December of 1998 to win the IBF 154 lb championship of the world. He would go on to defend his title successfully five times before eventually losing it to Felix “Tito” Trinidad in their epic December 2000 unification war.