It’s easy to write off Samuel Vargas. After all, he has come up short every time he has stepped up to face an elite opponent. And he’s scheduled to take on another one on July 24, hot welterweight contender Vergil Ortiz.
Ortiz by knockout, right? Probably … but not necessarily.
Vargas, a 31-year-old, 10-year veteran, has gained experience along with his setbacks. The Colombian-Canadian was stopped by Errol Spence Jr. (2015) and Danny Garcia (2016) but took Amir Khan (2018) the distance (and put him down) and lost a split decision to Luis Collazo last year.
As his promoter, Lee Baxter, put it, “he was getting closer and closer.”
“I’m a guy who started in this sport with only 10 amateur fights,” Vargas told Boxing Junkie. “I’ve learned as I’ve gone along. And all that experience made me the fighter I am today. I’m more comfortable, more confident in my ability.
“I’ve been in with some of the best and came up short but that’s not going to slow me down.”
Vargas (31-5-2, 14 KOs) sees the obvious in Ortiz, a gifted fighter with a bright future. He also sees a kid, at least compared to him, who is still developing.
Ortiz will have most of the advantages when they are face to face in the ring in Indio, California, but experience isn’t one of them. And that, Vargas cautions those who expect a rout, shouldn’t be underestimated. He is certain he’ll test Vargas.
“He’s a good, strong kid, talented,” Vargas said of Ortiz. “But I haven’t seen him get hit, to be honest. Not once. I haven’t seen him with his back against the ropes. I haven’t seen him put in an uncomfortable situation.
“I’ve never, ever seen him in an uncomfortable situation. That’s a part of boxing you have to go through.”
And if he finally gets over the hump? He thinks about that.
Vargas has been down and he has gotten up. He has lost and then immediately gone back to the gym. As he put it, “I’ve fought guys trying to take my head off with everything they had. I weathered those storms and put up a good fight. I feel all that will pay off in this fight.”
If it does, it will all have been worth it.
“Oh man,” Vargas said as he thought about what it would mean to have his hand raised against Ortiz. “It would be a big, big accomplishment, overwhelming happiness. I can’t even put it into words, to be honest. I can’t explain how I would feel.
“I’ve been so close. At Madison Square Garden, I fought Amir Khan. All these big names. I would be so proud of myself, proud of the people who have believed in me my whole journey. I’d be very, very proud that I never gave up and finally did it.”