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Fernando Vargas was barely 21 years old when he became a world champion by stopping Luis Ramon “Yori Boy” Campas in just his 15th professional fight.
The youngest son of the former IBF junior middleweight champion possesses comparable ambition. Emiliano Vargas (1-0, 1 KO), a highly touted lightweight who will make his Top Rank debut on Saturday night in Las Vegas, expects to be fast-tracked to a title shot in a manner similar to how promoter Main Events moved Fernando Vargas toward challenging Campas in December 1998 at Trump Taj Mahal’s Etess Arena in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Having his father as his trainer and adviser can only help in the developmental process, according to 18-year-old Emiliano, one of three sons Fernando Vargas trains.
“Like my dad says, everything that happened in his career is for the betterment of my career,” Emiliano Vargas told BoxingScene.com. “The good, the bad, the ugly, it all serves for the purpose of my career and my brothers’ career as well. And I definitely do feel that this isn’t anything forced. I love what I do and it’s just a blessing that my dad has so much experience in it. Everywhere I wanna go, my dad’s been and he’s waiting with a sack lunch, definitely. And I’m just playing it by ear. I know I wanna be world champion as soon as I can. I think 13, 14, 15 fights is perfect for me to go for a world title.”
Las Vegas’ Vargas made his pro debut May 14 at The Forum in Inglewood, California. He knocked out Mark Salgado (1-2, 1 KO), of San Jose, California, in the first round on the same card on which his older brothers – Fernando Jr. (6-0, 6 KOs), a 26-year-old junior middleweight, and Amado (4-0, 2 KOs), a 22-year-old junior lightweight – also produced victories.
Five months later, Bob Arum’s promotional company announced it signed Emiliano Vargas more than 25 years after his father, a 1996 U.S. Olympian from Oxnard, California, chose Main Events over Top Rank and other top promoters.
“Me and my team, we definitely sorted through everybody,” Emiliano Vargas said. “We made a meticulous choice with Top Rank. If you look at it, they’ve had everybody. They’ve had Manny Pacquiao, they’ve had Floyd [Mayweather], they’ve had Oscar [De La Hoya], they almost had my dad. That was the way Bob put it as well. It was the right move. I feel Top Rank does a phenomenal job. They keep [their fighters] busy and I’m looking forward to just fighting.”
ESPN+ will stream Emiliano Vargas’ four-round fight against Julio Martinez (1-0, 1 KO), of South Bend, Indiana, on Saturday night (7:15 p.m. ET; 4:15 p.m. PT). The Vargas-Martinez match will be part of the Janibek Alimkhanuly-Denzel Bentley undercard at Pearl Concert Theater inside Palms Casino Resort.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.