Boxing is probably the single most emotional sport in the world. The men aren't playing checkers, they are fighting for high stakes. All these emotions can be heightened by hatred, and can bring out something in them that we have never seen before, good or bad.

On one hand we have "The Golden Boy" Oscar de la Hoya, an Olympic medalist and accomplished professional. He fell from his pedestal in September of 1999 against Felix Trinidad. He seemed to control the early rounds, but left the fight in the hands of the judges when he took off the last 4 rounds of the fight to protect his lead. June of 2000 would see Oscar losing non-controversially to "Sugar" Shane Mosley in one of the best fights of that year. Since these lone two defeats he has hired knowledgeable trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr. and racked up wins against Arturo Gatti at 147 lbs. and at 154 lbs against Javier Castillejo. He has a tremendous fan base, which consists of mostly women. Don't let his good looks fool you, he is one of the sport's true warriors. He fights the best out there, always in tip top shape, and always comes to win.

In the other corner we have "El Feroz" Ferocious Fernando Vargas. His career started like a runaway train. He stopped Yori Boy Campas in the 7th round of their December 1998 bout to become the youngest Jr. Middleweight Champion ever. Vargas would then go on to fight and beat "Winky" Wright in a close fight in December 1999 and Ike Quartey in April 2000 in another fight of the year candidate.

The Vargas train hit a mountain and derailed when he took on Puerto Rico's native son Felix Trinidad in December of 2000. This was a horrible fight for Vargas. He took massive amounts of punishment and hit the canvas four times before going down to stay in the 12th and final round. Since then he has rebounded somewhat and has gotten wins over two tough opponents. The word on the street is, and most agree, that Trinidad took something out of Vargas that he may not get back. Vargas has seemed much more lethargic in the ring. He used to be a great counter-puncher that would give his opponent angles but in his last two fights has just looked like a come-forward slugger. He still lives up to his name "Ferocious" however,  and his war with Trinidad has given him much respect among the boxing community, even in defeat. Vargas is the type of fighter that doesn't shy from a challenge, or lie down when the going gets tough.

With all the animosity between these two fighters I still think this will be a contest of skill with the added flair that comes with the grudge of course. Vargas has been a 154 pounder his whole career. De la Hoya has just recently made the jump from 147 lbs. and this will be only his second contest at that weight. Vargas is rough around the edges while Oscar is the polished boxer.

In the end I think Oscar de la Hoya will walk away with the victory. He has one of the best left jabs in boxing, is very mobile on his feet and is one of the few fighters who can stand and deliver 5-6 punch combinations. I think he will control the action from the outside with his jab and movement and then throw his quick combinations when Vargas gets in range. Vargas is too slow for Oscar and will have trouble closing the gap and beating Oscar to the punch. He is also shorter and has the shorter reach. Did I mention how good a jab Oscar has? That will be a key in this fight if he throws it often. Vargas is not too elusive and doesn't move his head. He is right there to be hit with the jab. Oscar is also much more accurate with his punch output and will most likely be landing at 50% or higher. Basically what I'm saying is that Vargas doesn't have the style to beat De la Hoya. He has a big heart but heart is only a major factor when two boxers are evenly matched. Vargas is going to have a hard time making De la Hoya stand and fight with him. Oscar will do it, but not long enough for Vargas to gain an edge in the bout. Oscar will set the tone in the very first round with his jab and combinations, that will have Vargas trying to catch up with him the entire fight. If Fernando was a huge puncher or had a great chin, I would give him more credit in this fight. But he doesn't have either, so it should all depend on what De la Hoya brings into the ring that night.