Weekend Wrap-Up, Nov. 26, 2007: Vargas-Mayorga, Cintron in a Tough One and More

I like to think I'm the first one to admit it when I'm wrong, so let me put this on the record: I was wrong about this weekend's pay-per-view.

Granted, I'd still be a much happier boxing fan if the powers that be would stop charging for fights between boxers who are past their primes, but I thought the Vargas-Mayorga bout would either be:

a) A complete waste of time

or

b) The sporting equivalent of a train wreck

Turns out it was neither. It won't be making Dan Rafael's list of ten must-watch fights, but it was unexpectedly well-fought and, dare I say it, entertaining. There was no knockout, a fact that surely would have lost me money had I been in Vegas for the fight and been able to bet on the fight ending with one.

Mayorga, especially, turned out to be a bit of a revelation, still showing some wild tendencies and doing some unnecessary showboating, but also somehow discovering the ability to pace himself. Unless my eyes deceived me, El Matador even blocked some punches with his gloves and dodged some others.

It's hard to imagine that a professional athlete could be washed up at age 29, but it sure looks like Vargas's decision to hang up the gloves - if he really does go through with it - is the proper one. Even in his new, relatively improved form, Mayorga provided Fernando with the best chance to go out on a winning note. He didn't look as overmatched as he did the last time he fought Shane Mosley, but he did get knocked down twice, and it appears his heart is the best thing he still has going for him. Let's applaud him for that and wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.

And while we're on the subject of heart, a big BoxingWatchers.com shout out goes to Jesse Feliciano. He turned what was supposed to be a cakewalk for Kermit Cintron into a touch scrap fought primarily at close range. That neutralized The Killer's immense advantage's in hand speed and skill and made it a much longer night than anyone could have predicted. The sight of Feliciano out on his feet while TKO winner Cintron was writhing in pain on the mat - the result of an injury suffered during the fight - was a strange one, for sure.