Jessie Vargas is a world champion with 27 wins in 28 fights and has a Nov. 5 pay-per-view date with Manny Pacquiao that could serve to put him on the international boxing map.
Despite his glittering record and world titles at super lightweight and welterweight, Vargas is largely anonymous on the world boxing stage.
But he?s beloved in his hometown of Las Vegas, where he grew up and attended Palo Verde High School.
Ask anyone in Las Vegas who has encountered him ? and that includes former teachers, hotel workers, gym workers, and all manner of people ? and they?ll tell you that Vargas is the ultimate good guy.
Michelle Corrales-Lewis, who is the chief operating officer of the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame, which benefits boxing-related charities, knows full well about Vargas? easy-going nature.
She often calls on him to make appearances for charity purposes. Not only does he always show up with a smile, he actually suggests charities she can help.
?He?s fabulous and he?ll do it pretty much no matter what,? she said. ?And he?s fully engaged when he?s there. He takes pictures, signs autographs, and he acts like he?s known the people who show up all his life. These are people who want to get a photo or an autograph from the champion, and he makes them feel like they?re his close friend.?
Steve Carp, the former boxing writer at the Las Vegas Review-Journal, covered Vargas for most of his career. He, too, raved about his character.
?He?s a wonderful guy who has had a great sense of awareness and responsibility,? Carp said. ?He knows it?s important for him to be a role model for the young people in Vegas, and he conducts himself accordingly. ? He?s always been a good kid, and you never see our crime reporters writing about him.?
Vargas, though, is changing his stance for the Pacquiao fight. Pacquiao has long been one of the sport?s most popular fighters, as well as one of its most talented.
Pacquiao opened as about a 10-to-1 favorite.
When the fight was made, Pacquiao was criticized for some for picking Vargas, the insinuation being that Vargas wasn?t a worthy opponent.
And Vargas isn?t all that thrilled about it. So he?s willing to play the bad guy role for the Pacquiao fight because he wants to make a statement.
?The press has never had my back,? Vargas said, a rare tinge of anger in his voice. ?I?m going to tear this guy apart to prove all these doubters, the haters. It?s nothing against Manny; I just have to do what I have to do. The anger that I have is because of the way I have been treated by some in the press.?
When Yahoo Sports told him how highly regarded he was, Vargas interrupted.
?What good does it do me?? he said. ?What do I get out from that?
?The way I?ve been treated, that gives me a lot of fuel and I?m using that as fire to come out with this victory.?
Vargas later privately apologized for the outburst. He?s taken a beating since signing to fight Pacquiao, and yet he apologized for reacting negatively to the criticism.
It?s a rare world-class athlete who would do such a thing, but Vargas is a rare breed.
