Out of Ring, Vargas in the News

Former U.S. Olympic welterweight Fernando Vargas of Oxnard is undefeated in seven professional bouts and is staring at a future filled with promise.

Yet, lately, Vargas seems to be doing most of his fighting outside the ring.

Vargas, 19, after being charged last week with reckless driving in an incident stemming from an argument with his sister, was involved in another skirmish this week when he engaged in fisticuffs with welterweight Carlos Martinez, a former stablemate at La Colonia Youth Boxing Club in Oxnard.

Vargas and Martinez crossed paths Monday at La Colonia and almost immediately came to blows.

Both fighters admit they dislike each other. Both claim the other threw the first punch. Martinez emerged with a black eye and a cut on the bridge of his nose that required nine stitches.

“I went there just to say hello to the kids as I usually do,” Martinez said. “All of a sudden, I felt someone push me from behind and it was Fernando. He said, ‘I hear you want to fight me.’

“It went on for about 20 minutes. One of his friends hit me in the back of the head and I have a big lump.”

Vargas, who emerged with swelling near one eye, admits challenging Martinez--to a fight in the ring.

“I just keep hearing a lot of stuff about how he thinks he’s better than me,” Vargas said. “How he used to spar with me and beat me up. I went up and said, ‘Oh, so you want to fight me?’ That’s when there was an altercation.

“I’d love to fight him. Love to fight him. And he wants to fight me. We’re rivals. We won’t be happy until we settle it in the ring.”

Martinez, undefeated in six pro fights under the tutelage of trainer Joe Goossen, said he is contemplating filing charges against Vargas.

Martinez said his injuries forced him to pull out of a scheduled fight Sunday at the Reseda Country Club. Under contract with promoter Dan Goossen and America Presents, Martinez fights for far less money than Vargas, who signed a lucrative multiyear contract with Main Events in 1996.

Joe Goossen said he hopes the incident will lead to a lucrative matchup in the ring.

“This whole thing stems from the fact that at one time these two guys were once friendly stablemates and then Carlos came to me last year,” Goossen said. “You can just tell there is a lot of animosity and jealousy. They’re both young, athletic, cocky guys and I don’t think either likes hearing publicity about the other guy.”

Nor has Vargas enjoyed recent publicity about his personal life. But then, he seems to have brought most of it on himself.

At the core of Vargas’ altercation with his sister was ownership of a vehicle the fighter reportedly purchased for her.

Vargas was booked and released after chasing his sister through Oxnard at speeds of more than 50 mph. He vowed to fight the charge.

“There was a sibling dispute with me and my sister and it was blown way out of proportion,” Vargas said.

“I feel that if it was anybody else, I wouldn’t have even been in that [police] station. I’m astonished how a moving violation can get me in the newspaper.”

In another alleged incident, Tony Garcia, a 22-year-old welterweight from Port Hueneme with a 2-1 record, claimed he was involved in a fistfight with Vargas last month at a skating rink.

Garcia said Vargas picked a fight with him and his two brothers.

“He started putting his hands up and saying, ‘Do you know who I am?’ ” Garcia said. “He’s never liked me, not since amateurs.”

Vargas denies a fight occurred.

“We didn’t get into anything,” Vargas said. “I don’t even know this guy.”

Vargas is scheduled to fight Nov. 22 in Atlantic City, N.J.

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Monthly boxing returns Sunday to the Reseda Country Club for the first time since June with two championship fights for lightly regarded belts.

Nicky Bentz will face Javier Diaz for the vacant World Boxing Federation junior-featherweight title.

In a co-main event, Fidel Avendano will fight Floyd Weaver for the WBF junior-middleweight title. The program will be televised on ESPN2.

General manager Mehdi Zamani is promoting the bouts with the help of former promoter Peter Broudy. Zamani said monthly bouts likely will be moved to Saturday night.

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Former world champion Rafael Ruelas of Sylmar and heavyweight Lance Whitaker of Granada Hills return to the ring Nov. 14 at South Parade Island, Texas.

Ruelas, 49-3 with 39 knockouts, will face Rodney Wilson of Chicago in a 10-round junior-welterweight bout.

Whitaker, who has knocked out all 10 opponents since turning pro in July of 1996, faces Marcus Rhode of St. Joseph, Miss., whose record is 20-6 with 20 knockouts.