JESSIE VARGAS: "LAST LEFTY I FOUGHT, I KNOCKED HIM OUT VICIOUSLY...I WILL BECOME THE NEW WBA WORLD CHAMPION"
By Percy Crawford | February 12, 2014
"I have never had a problem with lefties, but I'm not coming into this fight with any type of negativity. Every time I have fought against a lefty, I have had great results. I'm excited to become the new world champion and for me to show my talent to the world. As I said, and I will repeat it, the last lefty I fought, I knocked him out viciously and I'm coming in with everything. I think you are gonna see a stronger, faster and more experienced fighter...come April 12th, he better come well prepared because I know I will for sure. I'm coming for that victory, I'm coming for that belt and I will become the new WBA world champion," stated undefeated jr. welterweight contender Jessie Vargas, who talked about his upcoming April 12 clash with WBA jr. welterweight champion Khabib Allakhverdiev on the undercard of Pacquiao vs. Bradley 2. Check out what else he had to say!
PC: April 12th against Khabib Allakhverdiev on the Pacquiao/Bradley card for the WBA junior welterweight title. Tell us about it, man!
JV: Thanks for having me and giving me a call. I'm excited, man. It's a big event, huge event, and I'm very thankful to be involved with an event of this magnitude once again. I want to thank my manager Cameron [Dunkin], who got me here, and Top Rank. I'm very excited. This is what I have dreamed of since I was 8 years old. It has been my dream to become a world champion and the opportunity has been given to me now thankfully on April 12th and we are working very hard to come up with the victory on April 12th. Like I said, I'm very excited and have been training hard for some time now. I am very focused and just training. Any other obstacles I have going on right now, I am putting to the side and focusing 100% on this fight.
PC: Are you going full go right now or just slowly working your way into a camp because it's still pretty early?
JV: It's a little early, without a doubt. I'm working with my new trainer, Ismael Salas, and that's the reason that we have been in the gym for so long to adapt to what he is showing me. And he is adapting to me as a fighter as well and getting to know me. I'm just very excited with every day that goes by. We are putting in good work at the gym, and although I'm taking it easy, I'm staying in shape and maintaining a nice weight; that way we don't have to worry about anything in the future when camp starts. We will have the weight set when camp starts and not be too far off.
PC: Ideally, a fighter never wants to go into the biggest fight of their career with a new trainer, which is what you will be doing. Was this the perfect case scenario to know about this fight early in the game so you guys could have this adapting period?
JV: Exactly! I think we picked the right amount of time to adapt to each other. It seems like God is putting all of the tasks together where it's set in place correctly. I got in contact with Salas and we kicked it off just fine. We have had very good sparring, and to look for a lefty is not easy, but thankfully we have some and I look at it the same way; God has put these guys in the Top Rank Gym just for me to pick them up basically. He is guiding me along this path to victory and I just gotta make sure I'm doing everything correctly to assure that I don't fall off of the current path that I am on now. I'm just very excited. Every day that passes by, I'm thinking about the fight and I'm just happy and excited for the opportunity, and I have to come up with the victory. I'm not letting this opportunity slip by, that's for sure. I'm not; not one bit. I'm starting right now and I'm not gonna stop until that last bell rings.
PC: Other than knowing Khabib is a southpaw and undefeated like yourself, do you know much more about him or will you have to research him a little more in camp?
JV: I don't know much about him just yet. As you said, I do know that he is undefeated and he is a lefty and he has to have some skills in order for him to hold a world title. I hear that he can move around as well as he can fight on the inside. We just have to sit down and study him. Right now, we're not really studying him because we are just training to maintain the weight and stay in good shape and adapting to my new trainer; that comes first. But as soon as my camp starts, I'll have my trainers study him and he will let me know what tactic he wants us to come in with.
PC: Are you not a big film guy? Do you prefer your trainers to handle that and you just take a quick glance at your opponents on tape?
JV: Yeah, I just take a glance at them here and there and that will be it. More than anything, I let my trainers check 'em out and they tell me from there, or he will tell me to check out certain rounds, I'm sure. As I told you, this is my first time working with Salas, so whatever he says; if he feels I should sit down and take a look at the video, I will. I prefer to take a quick glance at him and I will figure out his style right away. No style has ever been complicated for me, thankfully. I know how to adapt to any style, so I'm not really worried about it. I never was, ever since I was a kid. I've known how to adapt to any style. There is nothing else that's gonna be different. I think I will have the advantage in height and strength. As you know, my last fight at 140 was a good victory and the one before that, which was a lefty, ended with a knockout victory; an explosive knockout victory. I have never had a problem with lefties, but I'm not coming into this fight with any type of negativity. Every time I have fought against a lefty, I have had great results. I'm excited to become the new world champion and for me to show my talent to the world. As I said, and I will repeat it, the last lefty I fought, I knocked him out viciously and I'm coming in with everything. I think you are gonna see a stronger, faster and more experienced fighter.
PC: You're undefeated and you have faced southpaws, so obviously that's not your kryptonite, but is there a major adjustment for you when you're facing a southpaw?
JV: As of now, I'm just adapting to my trainer. Of course there are little things you concentrate on when you're fighting lefties, but like I said, camp hasn't officially started, but I'm not really...not to sound cocky or anything, man, but I just tell it how it is; I'm not worried about any lefties and he is no different. He is a good fighter, so I won't disrespect him in any way, but I have never had a problem with lefties or any fighters for that matter. Right-handed or lefty, it doesn't matter. I have very positive thoughts for this fight. I just feel it and I know everything is going to go my way. Camp hasn't even started yet and thankfully everything is being positioned correctly in my career as of now. I'm really prepared for the best Khabib come April 12th, whether he wants to fight, he wants to box, or run around. One thing for sure is he is gonna feel my power from the beginning and we will see how he reacts from that.
PC: I think you have shown a very versatile game being that you can box, fight on the inside, or whatever the fight calls for. Do you think that makes your opponent's job even harder because when they watch film on you, they don't really know what to prepare for?
JV: Yeah, I feel that way. I adapt to them and they can't adapt to me because I find out the easiest way to fight them, the best way to fight them, and their weaknesses. As a young fighter, I'm only 24 years old, I'm still learning, so I'm only gonna get better. I'm the type of fighter that likes to learn and absorb as much as I can in order for me to become the best out there, which is my ultimate goal. For him to become a world champion, I respect that, but come April 12th, he better come well prepared because I know I will for sure. I'm coming for that victory, I'm coming for that belt and I will become the new WBA world champio
