When you talk about boxing families, the name Vargas stands tall. Fernando Vargas Jr., better known as ‘El Feroz’, has been carving his own path inside the ring with a 17-fight undefeated record and explosive performances. But his journey is built on more than just talent. It’s built on legacy, with his brothers, Amado and Emiliano, fighting their way to the top alongside Fernando Vargas Jr. All three are still undefeated to this day.

So, where does the 28-year-old boxer’s fighting spirit come from? Well, that would be his father, Fernando Vargas. But do we really know enough about ‘El Feroz’s father?

Meet former world champ Fernando Vargas Sr.

Fernando Vargas Sr., also known as ‘Ferocious’, once dominated the light middleweight division as the champion. He held both the IBF and WBA light middleweight titles. And in his prime, he fought five world champions – Luis Ramon ‘Yori Boy’ Campas, Raul Marquez, Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright, Ike Quartey, Javier Castillejo. In December 1998, Vargas Sr. secured a win over Campas for the IBF light middleweight belt with a seventh-round stoppage. 

His win over Raul Marquez in 1999 was the statement that the world was waiting for. He stopped Marquez with an eleventh-round finish, thereby defending his title. Then came Vargas Sr’s fight against Wright. But with a majority decision, he secured yet another win against a former champion. It was proof that his battle IQ was enough to take anyone down. But then came Ike Quartey in 2000. Following 12 hard-fought rounds, the judges stood in support of Vargus Sr. with a unanimous decision. But later, he fell at the hands of Felix Trinidad and Oscar De La Hoya in 2000 and 2002. His win over Jose Flores in 2001 got him the WBA and IBA light middleweight titles.

These defeats made his win over Javier Castillejo in 2005 even more special. He retired in 2007 after two consecutive losses to Shane Mosley and once to Ricardo Mayorga with a record of 26-5. Reflecting on his career, he once said, “I beat five world champions, and the four world champions and Hall of Famers that beat me didn’t walk away easy, because I was in their a–, too!”

Now, Fernando Vargas Sr. spends most of his time training and cornering ‘El Feroz’ and his other two kids. But what about Vargas Jr’s mother? Let’s find out who she is and how she feels about the 28-year-old’s foray into boxing.

All we know about Fernando Vargas Jr.’s mother

Martha Lopez Vargas, Junior’s mother, has often played the role of a stabilizing presence in the family. She’s very involved in supporting her kids. Well, one can certainly expect that from a lady who witnessed the career of Fernando Vargas Sr. But when it comes to Fernando Vargas Jr., things change a bit. During a conversation with Boxing Social, she stated, “It’s different when it’s your children. When he would get me upset, it would be like, ‘Well, that’s what you get when you get hit in the face, right?’ But my kids, with my kids it’s different. My security is their dad in the corner. That makes me feel a lot better–but this is what they want. I wish they would want something else, but they don’t.”

She claimed that things were nerve-wracking for her. Sitting down isn’t even an option when her children are fighting. However, she has complete faith in their father. She confessed, “I’m confident my husband will make everything okay, because if not, he will have a fight with me when he gets home.”

Now, Fernando Vargas Jr is getting ready to battle Callum Walsh in the co-main event for the much-awaited Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford bout. But can Vargas Jr. maintain his undefeated streak this Saturday? Do let us know what you think about the matchup.