Vargas may refer to:

• Vargas (surname)

Places[link]

Brazil

• Getúlio Vargas, Rio Grande do Sul, a municipality in the state of Rio Grande do Sul

Venezuela

• Vargas, Venezuela, one of the 23 states which make up the country

In fiction[link]

• Vargas (James Bond), a SPECTRE assassin in the novel Thunderball
• Vargas (comics), the Marvel comics character
• Edgar Vargas, a character in Johnny the Homicidal Maniac—see Characters of Johnny the Homicidal Maniac#Edgar Vargas
• Rocco Vargas, a science-fiction comic-book hero created by Daniel Torres (comics)
• Feliciano Vargas, the human name for the main character in the Japanese webcomic Hetalia: Axis Powers, the human personification for Northern Italy.

See also[link]

• Varga (disambiguation)
• Varda (disambiguation)

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

Chavela Vargas
Chavela Vargas in concert
Background information
Birth name	Isabel Vargas Lizano
Born	(1919-04-17) April 17, 1919 (age 93) San Joaquín de Flores, Costa Rica
Origin	Mexico
Genres	Ranchera
Occupations	Singer–songwriter, actress
Years active	1961–present
Associated acts	José Alfredo Jiménez
Website	www.chavelavargasoficial.com

Isabel Vargas Lizano (born April 17, 1919) is a Costa Rican-born Mexican singer. She is especially known for her rendition of Mexican rancheras genre - a folkloric musical genre widely popular in Mexico - but she is also recognized for her contribution to other popular Latin American song genres. She has been an influential interpreter in the Americas and Europe, muse to figures such as Pedro Almodóvar, hailed for her haunting performances, and called "la voz áspera de la ternura", the rough voice of tenderness.^[1]

Early life[link]

Isabel Vargas Lizano was born in San Joaquín de Flores, Costa Rica. She goes by Chavela, which is a nickname for Isabel. At 14,^[2] she fled her native country due to lack of musical career opportunities, seeking refuge in Mexico, where an entertainment industry was burgeoning. For many years she sang on the streets but in her thirties she became a professional singer. In her youth, she dressed as a man, smoked cigars, drank heavily, carried a gun and was known for her characteristic red jorongo, which she still dons in performances.

Her first album, Noche de Bohemia (Bohemian Night), was released in 1961 with the professional support of José Alfredo Jiménez, one of the foremost singer/songwriters of the Mexican cancion ranchera.^[3] Vargas has recorded over eighty albums since.^[4] She was hugely successful during the 1950s, 1960s and the first half of the 70s, touring in Mexico, the United States, France and Spain^[5] and was close to many prominent artists and intellectuals of the time, including Juan Rulfo, Agustín Lara, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, Dolores Olmedo and José Alfredo Jiménez.^[1] She partly retired in the late 1970s due to a 15 year-long battle with alcoholism, which she has described in her autobiography (Y si quieres saber de mi pasado [And if you want to know about my past], published in 2002) as "my 15 years in hell"^[6] At 81 years old, she publicly declared that she was a lesbian.^[7][8]

Return to the stage[link]

Chavela Vargas giving a concert in the Plaza de España, in Madrid, Spain in 2006

Vargas returned to the stage in 1991, performing at the venue "El Habito" in Coyoacan, Mexico City,.^[1] She debuted at Carnegie Hall in 2003 at the age of 83^[9] at the behest and promotion of Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar, a long-time admirer and personal friend of Vargas.

Appearances in film[link]

She is featured in many Almodóvar's films, including La Flor de mi Secreto in both song and video. She has said, however, that acting is not her ambition, although she had previously participated in films such as 1967s La Soldadera.^[1] Vargas recently appeared in the 2002 Julie Taymor film Frida, singing "La Llorona" (The Weeping Woman).^[10] Her classic "Paloma Negra" (Black Dove) was also included in the soundtrack of the film. Vargas herself, as a young woman, was alleged to have had an affair with Frida Kahlo, during Kahlo's marriage to muralist Diego Rivera.^[10] She also appeared in Alejandro González Iñárritu's Babel, singing "Tú me acostumbraste" (You Got Me Used To),^[11] a bolero of Frank Dominguez.

Joaquín Sabina's song "Por el Boulevar de los Sueños Rotos" ("Down the Boulevard of Broken Dreams") is dedicated to Vargas.^[1]

Selected discography[link]

• Piensa en mí, 1991
• Boleros, 1991
• Sentimiento de México (vol. 1), 1995
• De México y del mundo, 1995
• Le canta a México, 1995
• Volver, volver, 1996
• Dos, 1996
• Grandes Mementos, 1996
• Macorina, 1996
• Colección de Oro, 1999
• Con la rondalla del amor de Saltillo, 2000
• Para perder la cabeza, 2000
• Las 15 grandes de Chavela Vargas, 2000
• Grandes éxitos, 2002
• Para toda la vida, 2002
• Discografía básica, 2002
• Antología, 2004
• Somos, 2004
• En Carnegie Hall, 2004
• La Llorona, 2004
• Cupaima, 2006
• Soledad, 2007
• Piensa en mí, on Splendor in the Grass by Pink Martini, 2009
• Luz de Luna, on San Patricio by The Chieftains featuring Ry Cooder, 2010
• Por mi Culpa!, 2010

See also[link]

• Ranchera
• Cuco Sanchez

References[link]

External links[link]

• official website
• "At Carnegie Hall" album review on Sound Generator
• Chavela Vargas at Allmusic

Ricardo Mayorga (born March 10, 1973 in Granada, Nicaragua), is a retired Nicaraguan professional boxer. He is the former WBA/WBC Welterweight champion and the former WBC light middleweight champion. He holds a record of 29-8 with 23 knockouts and 1 draw 1 no contest. He was featured for the first time on the cover of Ring Magazine on the December 2003 issue, released in October. The cover read "The craziest man in the sport: Mayorga lights up boxing." He is known for his relentless trash-talking before most of his fights.

Mixed martial arts[link]

Mayorga was scheduled to make his debut 15 May 2010 against UFC veteran Din Thomas in the Shine Fights: Worlds Collide: Mayorga vs. Thomas card.^[1] Don King filed for an injunction the week of the fight to prevent him from participating, claiming Mayorga had an exclusive contract with Don King Promotions (DKP).

Shine Fights stated that Mayorga's contract with DKP was for boxing, and as such did not apply to mixed martial arts. Judge Marc Gold granted the injunction just several hours before the fight.^[2] Later on the same day, Shine Fights officials conceded defeat in the matter and Mayorga was pulled off the card.^[3] At the press conference, He was seen smoking cigarettes and looked a lot heavier than he usually does. Mayorga got under Thomas' skin with his trash talking and by blowing smoke in Thomas' face. Thomas reacted badly having to be held back by members of his camp, then after it settled Mayorga chopped Thomas in the neck^{[citation needed]}.

Retirement[link]

On March 12, 2011, Mayorga faced Miguel Cotto, in what was a deeply personal feud. During the bout Mayorga suffered a broken finger and was later knocked out by Cotto. After the match Mayorga announced his retirement from boxing, (he apparently had already made up his mind before the bout and would retire regardles of the outcome) and stated and that it was "time to find a new job". Mayorga and Cotto then hugged.

He has since stated that he does not entirely dismiss the possibility of a comeback.^[4]

Professional record[link]

29 Wins (23 KOs), 8 Defeats (5 KOs), 1 Draw[5]
Res.	Opponent	Type	Round	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	Miguel Cotto	TKO	12	2011-03-12	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	For WBA (Super) light middleweight title.
Win	Michael Walker	TKO	9	2010-12-17	American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida, USA
Loss	Shane Mosley	KO	12	2008-09-27	Home Depot Center, Carson, California, USA	For vacant WBA Inter-Continental light middleweight title.
Win	Fernando Vargas	MD	12	2007-11-23	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, USA	For vacant WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title.
Loss	Oscar De La Hoya	TKO	6	2006-05-06	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	Lost WBC light middleweight title. Mayorga tested positive for the diuretic Furosemide
Win	Michele Piccirillo	UD	12	2005-08-13	United Center, Chicago, Illinois, USA	Won vacant WBC light middleweight title.
Loss	Felix Trinidad	TKO	8	2004-10-02	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
Win	Eric Mitchell	UD	10	2004-04-17	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York, USA
Loss	Cory Spinks	MD	12	2003-12-13	Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, USA	Lost The Ring/WBC/WBA (Super) welterweight titles. For IBF welterweight title.
Win	Vernon Forrest	UD	12	2003-07-12	Orleans Hotel & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA	Retained The Ring/WBC/WBA (Super) welterweight titles. Forrest is thought to have suffered from problems with his mouth-piece.
Win	Vernon Forrest	TKO	3	2003-01-25	Pechanga Entertainment Center, Temecula, California, USA	Retained WBA (Super) welterweight title. Won The Ring/WBC welterweight titles.
Win	Andrew Lewis	TKO	5	2002-03-30	Sovereign Center, Reading, Pennsylvania, USA	Won WBA welterweight title.
NC	Andrew Lewis	NC	2	2001-07-28	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, USA	For WBA welterweight title. Lewis cut by accidental head butt.
Win	Elias Cruz	TKO	3	2001-02-03	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Win	Adolfo Salazar	KO	1	2000-12-16	Forum Bicentenario, de la Universidad de Aragua, Maracay, VEN	Retained WBA Fedelatin light middleweight title.
win	Elvis Guerrero	TKO	2	2000-11-24	San Jose, Costa Rica
Win	Feliberto Alvarez	UD	12	2000-08-31	Hotel Melia Cariari, San Jose, Costa Rica	Retained WBC FECARBOX light middleweight title.
Win	Walter Palacios	UD	1	2000-07-28	Melia Cariari Hotel, San Antonio de Belen, Costa Rica
Win	Elio Ortiz	KO	10	2000-06-03	Hotel Melia Cariari, San Jose, Costa Rica	Retained WBA Fedelatin light middleweight title.
Win	Manuel De la Rosa	KO	1	2000-05-06	San Jose, Costa Rica	Retained WBC FECARBOX light middleweight title.
Win	German Espinales	KO	4	2000-04-07	San Jose, Costa Rica	Retained WBC FECARBOX light middleweight title.
Win	Marco Antonio Avendano	TKO	2	2000-03-18	Turmero, Venezuela	Won WBA Fedelatin light middleweight title.
Draw	Diosbelys Hurtado	TD	2	1999-11-27	Carolina, Puerto Rico	Bout stopped due to accidental butt.
Win	Giovanni Duran	TKO	4	1999-09-25	San Jose, Costa Rica
Win	Jose Cordoba	KO	1	1999-07-24	San Jose, Costa Rica	Won WBC FECARBOX light middleweight title.
Win	Walter Palacios	KO	8	1999-06-12	San Jose, Costa Rica
Win	Henry Castillo	TKO	7	1999-04-24	San Jose, Costa Rica
Win	Rafael Valdes	TKO	4	1999-03-13	San Jose, Costa Rica
Loss	Henry Castillo	UD	10	1998-09-13	San Jose, Costa Rica
Loss	Roger Benito Flores	UD	10	1998-05-16	Gimansio Alexis Arguello, Managua, Nicaragua
Win	German Espinales	TKO	4	1998-01-06	Managua, Nicaragua
Win	Miguel Angel Perez	TKO	3	1995-12-16	Managua, Nicaragua
Win	Adolfo Mendez	TKO	2	1995-09-30	Managua, Nicaragua
Win	Benjamin Rivas	TKO	8	1995-02-18	Managua, Nicaragua
Win	Miguel Angel Perez	TKO	6	1995-01-28	Managua, Nicaragua	Won Nicaraguan light welterweight title.
Win	David Salguera	KO	6	1994-05-20	San Jose, Costa Rica
Win	Miguel Baltazar	KO	3	1994-02-16	San Jose, Costa Rica
Win	Jose Morales	KO	3	1994-02-01	San Jose, Costa Rica
Loss	Humberto Aranda	TKO	6	1993-08-29	San Jose, Costa Rica	Professional debut.

See also[link]

• List of WBC world champions
• Reigning boxing champions

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Ricardo Mayorga Fight-by-Fight Career Record
• Professional boxing record for Ricardo Mayorga from BoxRec

Fernando Vargas (born December 7, 1977) is a retired Mexican American boxer and two-time world champion, who won a bronze medal as an amateur at the 1995 Pan American Games in Mar del Plata. His nicknames include "Ferocious", "The Aztec Warrior" and "El Feroz". Vargas was the youngest fighter to become world light middleweight champion until fellow Mexican Saul Alvarez won the vacant WBC belt in March 2011.

Some of Fernando's notable wins include victories over former world champions Raúl Márquez, Ike Quartey and Winky Wright. His losses to Félix Trinidad, Oscar De La Hoya, Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga remain his only career defeats and he is a favorite of American cable TV giant HBO.

Fernando is very good friends with Julio César Chávez; Chavez has been part of Vargas' ring entourage in at least two fights (the fight with Trinidad and the fight with de la Hoya). Chavez was also present when Vargas proposed to his wife (and mother of his 3 boys and 1 girl) Martha Lopez Vargas.

Amateur career[link]

Vargas was born in Oxnard, California. In his youth, Vargas trained by Eduardo Garcia at the popular La Colonia Youth Boxing Club in the Colonia neighborhood of Oxnard.^[1] Fernando Vargas compiled an extraordinary amateur record of 100-5. In 1992, he won the 132 lb. championships at the Junior Olympics Box-Offs, and came in second at the Junior Olympics. In 1993, he captured the triple crown of amateur boxing: the Junior Olympics Box-Offs, the Junior Olympics, and the Junior Olympics International tournament. The following year he solidified his position as one of the premier amateur fighters in the world by winning the 132 lb gold medal at the Olympic Festival, seizing the U.S. Junior Championships at 132 lb, and by becoming the youngest fighter ever to win the U.S. Championships. In 1995, he was selected to the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team.

Vargas lost a controversial decision in the second round of the 1996 Atlanta Olympics. Disappointed, but undaunted, Vargas set his sights on achieving greatness in the professional ranks.

Vargas was scheduled to turn pro on November 1996, however, while training for his debut bout he broke his right hand. Eager to turn pro and begin his march toward a world championship, Vargas "ferociously" followed his physical therapy program, and within five months he was ready for his professional debut.

Amateur achievements[link]

• Won the 132-lb Junior Olympics Box-Offs; came in second at the Junior Olympics (1992)
• Won the Junior Olympics Box-Offs, the Junior Olympics, and the Junior Olympics International tournament (1993)
• Won the 132-lb Gold Medal at the U.S. Olympic Festival (1994), seizing the U.S. Championships at 132 pounds, becoming the youngest boxer ever to win the U.S. Championships (Seniors).
• Participated at the 1994 World Junior Championships, losing in the quarter-finals.
• 1995 Pan American Games Bronze Medalist in Mar Del Plata (ARG)
• Selected to the 1996 U.S. Olympic Team, but lost in the second round.

Olympic Results[link]

• Defeated Tengiz Meskhadze (Georgia) 10-4
• Lost to Marian Simion (Romania) 7-8

Professional career[link]

In his professional debut on March 25, 1997, Vargas crushed Jorge Morales in just 56 seconds. Immediately, a star was born. Fernando blasted his next five opponents all within two rounds, eliminating four of his five challengers in one round each. After six professional bouts, Vargas had fought a total of only eight rounds. Vargas racked up an impressive record of 14 victories with 14 KOs against no defeats by the time he fought for his first world championship.

Vargas won his first world title in 1998, knocking out Yori Boy Campas in seven rounds for the IBF light middleweight championship. Vargas successfully defended the title throughout 1999, with victories over Howard Clarke (TKO 4), Raúl Márquez (TKO 11), Winky Wright (MD 12), and Ike Quartey (UD 12).

Trinidad vs. Vargas[link]

Vargas lost the title to Félix Trinidad in 2000. Vargas was knocked down twice in the first round, he was able to fight his way back by knocking down Trinidad in the fourth round until finally being knocked out in the 12th and final round.

Legal Troubles[link]

In 2001 Vargas was sentenced to 90 days in House Arrest stemming from a 1999 assault charge. Vargas and four friends were originally charged with assault with a deadly weapon and conspiracy to commit a crime stemming from a July 25, 1999 altercation at a Summerland, California home. The defendants were accused of assaulting Doug Rossi, 23, who had broken up a fight between Vargas and a female friend's ex-boyfriend.

• On September 22, 2001 Vargas defeated Jose Alfredo Flores via KO in round seven to win the vacant WBA light middleweight title.

De La Hoya vs. Vargas[link]

• On September 14, 2002, Vargas surrendered his WBA title to Oscar De La Hoya in an historical light middleweight championship unification showdown that filled the Mandalay Bay Events Center to capacity and sold approximately one million pay-per-view buys.

• In the early rounds Vargas used his natural strength (he fights at a naturally higher weight) to bully De La Hoya against the ropes and land right hands to the head and body; however, in the middle and late rounds Vargas fatigued and De La Hoya's hand speed took over. After hurting Vargas at the end of round 10, De La Hoya dropped Vargas in the next round with a left hook to the head, and stopped him moments later with a flurry at the 1:48 mark of the round.

• During the mandatory drug testing after the de la Hoya fight, Vargas tested positive for the banned steroid stanozolol better known as Winstrol. Vargas said the steroids were given to him without his knowledge, but he accepted full responsibility. The Nevada Athletic Commission announced on November 20 of 2002 that it would fine Vargas $100,000 because of his use of steroids. Fernando Vargas was suspended for nine months.

On the comeback trail[link]

Despite these problems, Fernando remained an accessible and popular celebrity, known for signing many autographs. After his knockout win over Fitz Vanderpool on July 26, 2003, he stood in a corner and yelled "I love you guys!" to his fans. Vargas continued his comeback, on December 12, with a seventh round knockout of Tony Marshall that was shown live nationwide from Tucson, on Telemundo. During that fight, Vargas injured a disc in his back, and his doctor recommended surgery, but Vargas chose to rehabilitate his back himself without having the procedure. This caused him to spend almost two years in inactivity, but, on March 26, 2005 he returned to boxing with a ten round unanimous decision win over Ray Joval in Corpus Christi, Texas.

On August 20, 2005, he returned to the boxing ring to fight fellow former world light middleweight champion Javier Castillejo of Spain. Vargas dropped Castillejo in the third round, but he apparently broke his right hand and went on to win by a ten round unanimous decision.

Mosley vs. Vargas I & II[link]

On February 25, 2006, Vargas once again returned to the ring to face fellow Southern California boxer Sugar Shane Mosley. In a tightly contested battle, Vargas' left eye became grotesquely swollen and referee Joe Cortez decided to stop the fight in the 10th round to minimize further damage, granting a technical knockout (TKO) victory to Mosley. The reasoning behind the stoppage, explained Nevada State Athletic Commission czar Marc Ratner, was that the referee and the fight doctor deemed that Vargas was unable to defend himself adequately against Mosley's right-hand shots. At the time of the stoppage, two judges had Mosley winning the fight 86-85. One judge had Vargas winning the fight 86-85. Fightnews.com had the bout scored 86-85 for Mosley. In the post fight press conference, Vargas made it clear that he would resume his boxing career and stated that a rematch with Mosley should be in order because the match was stopped on a technicality. ESPN boxing expert Dan Rafael wrote: "Vargas is so utterly delusional about what actually happened in his first fight with Mosley that we think he might have a concussion. When will he stop lying to himself -- and when will his team stop going along with him? He needs to admit that: (a) The swelling around his eye was caused by a clean punch, not a headbutt; and (b) He was not winning the fight when it was stopped in the 10th round."

In their highly anticipated July 15, 2006 rematch, Vargas was stopped in the 6th round via TKO. When the sixth round began, Mosley landed a huge left hook that sent Vargas crashing to the canvas. Vargas rolled over onto all fours and was unsteady, but after stumbling twice he finally beat referee Kenny Bayless' count. Moments later, Mosley unleashed another flurry as Vargas could only protect his face, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:38 as a beaten and disoriented Vargas staggered back to his corner.

Showdown with Ricardo Mayorga[link]

It was confirmed on May 13, 2007 that Vargas would face Ricardo Mayorga on September 8, 2007, on Showtime PPV for the vacant WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title. However the fight was postponed after it was discovered during a routine blood test that Vargas was suffering from a severe iron deficiency. Doctors ordered Vargas not to participate in the upcoming bout until he received the necessary weeks of treatment to correct the problem. When the bout eventually took place it would be fought at 162 pounds, a weight that neither boxer has ever fought at. Many sources claim that Vargas had complained about fighting at the Jr. Middleweight limit of 154 pounds, stating that it's "too much for his body to take". Vargas has stated that fighting at that weight was the reason he did poorly against Mosley in the second fight.^[2]

Vargas claimed that this would be the last fight of his career regardless of the result. He warned Mayorga that he would not tolerate any insults from him like the ones he hurled at Oscar De La Hoya in their press conferences. Vargas stayed true to his promise when at the first official press conference for the fight, Mayorga said some offensive things towards Vargas and attempted to slap him. Vargas immediately jumped up from his seat and retaliated with punches and a brawl broke out between the two fighters' camps, though order was quickly restored. Vargas also recalled the time when Mayorga said Vargas was scared of him when he had defeated Javier Castillejo, then was stripped of his WBC light middleweight title rather than face Mayorga, who then defeated Michele Piccirillo for the vacant title. Ultimately the contestants faced off, and Mayorga defeated Vargas by majority decision on November 23, 2007. The scores were 113-113, 114-112, and 115-111. Crucially, Vargas was knocked down in the 1st round and again in the 11th round. Post-fight Ricardo Mayorga apologized to Vargas and the two forgave each other. Vargas officially declared his retirement soon after.

Return To Ring in 2011[link]

It was confirmed that after a three-year hiatus, former world champion Fernando Vargas would return to the boxing ring against super middleweight Henry Buchanan on April 16, 2011 at Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. However, the fight was cancelled for unknown reasons.^[3]

Professional record[link]

26 Wins (22 knockouts), 5 Losses (4 knockouts), 0 Draw
Res.	Record	Opponent	Type	Rd., Time	Date	Location	Notes
Loss	26-5	Ricardo Mayorga	MD	12 (12)	November 23, 2007	Staples Center, Los Angeles, California	For vacant WBC Continental Americas super middleweight title.
Loss	26-4	Shane Mosley	KO	6 (12), (2:38)	July 15, 2006	MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
Loss	26-3	Shane Mosley	TKO	10 (12), (2:34)	February 25, 2006	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	WBA light middleweight Title Eliminator.
Win	26-2	Javier Castillejo	UD	10 (10)	August 20, 2005	Allstate Arena, Rosemont, Illinois
Win	25-2	Raymond Joval	UD	10 (10)	March 26, 2005	American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
Win	24-2	Tony Marshall	TKO	7 (10), (3:00)	December 12, 2003	Casino Del Sol, Tucson, Arizona
Win	23-2	Fitz Vanderpool	TKO	6 (10), (2:36)	July 26, 2003	Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California
Loss	22-2	Oscar De La Hoya	TKO	11 (12), (1:48)	September 14, 2002	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	For WBC & WBA (Super) light middleweight titles.
Win	22-1	Jose Alfredo Flores	KO	7 (12), (2:59)	September 22, 2001	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Won vacant WBA light middleweight title.
Win	21-1	Wilfredo Rivera	TKO	6 (10), (0:39 )	May 5, 2001	Don Haskins Convention Center, El Paso, Texas
Loss	20-1	Felix Trinidad	TKO	12 (12), (1:33)	December 2, 2000	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	Lost IBF light middleweight title. For WBA light middleweight title.
Win	20-0	Ross Thompson	TKO	4 (12), (1:07)	August 26, 2000	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	IBF Light Middleweight Title.
Win	19-0	Ike Quartey	UD	12 (12)	April 15, 2000	Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada	IBF Light Middleweight Title.
Win	18-0	Winky Wright	MD	12 (12)	December 4, 1999	Chinook Winds Casino, Lincoln City, Oregon	IBF Light Middleweight Title.
Win	17-0	Raul Marquez	TKO	11 (12), (2:00)	July 17, 1999	Caesars Tahoe, Stateline, Nevada	IBF Light Middleweight Title.
Win	16-0	Howard Clarke	TKO	4 (12), (2:29)	March 13, 1999	Madison Square Garden, New York, New York	IBF Light Middleweight Title.
Win	15-0	Luis Ramon Campas	RTD	7 (12), (3:00)	December 12, 1998	Trump Taj Mahal, Atlantic City, New Jersey	Won IBF Light Middleweight Title.

Acting career[link]

Vargas had a role in the Crime Drama film Alpha Dog where he played Poncho "TKO La Chula" Mireles.

Title History[link]

See also[link]

• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official Twitter
• Official website
• Vargas's Career Record
• Nawshis Clothing Company
• Official MySpace
• Fernando Vargas at the Internet Movie Database

Jose Antonio Vargas (born February 3, 1981) is a Filipino American journalist living and working in the United States.^[2] He is known for his coverage of HIV, the Virginia Tech shootings, and the influence that politics and the Internet have on each other. In 2008, Vargas was part of the team which won the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting. Born in the Philippines, and raised in the United States from the age of 12, Vargas has worked for The San Francisco Chronicle, The Philadelphia Daily News, The Washington Post, and The Huffington Post.

In a June 2011 essay in The New York Times Magazine, Vargas wrote he is an "undocumented immigrant". He states he revealed his status in order to promote dialogue about what he feels is a broken immigration system in the United States, and advocate for the DREAM Act, which would help children in similar circumstances have a path to citizenship available to them.

Personal life and education[link]

Vargas was born in Antipolo,^[3] the Philippines. In 1993, when Vargas was a child of 12, his mother sent him to live with his grandparents in the United States without obtaining authorization for him to stay in the country permanently.^[2] He grew up in Mountain View, California, and attended Crittenden Middle School and Mountain View High School. Vargas did not learn of his immigration status until 1997, when he attempted to obtain a California driver's license with fraudulent identity documents provided by his family. He kept his immigration status secret, pursuing his education and trying to fit in as an American, with the help of friends and teachers, using false documents including a green card, Filipino passport, and a driver’s license that helped him to avoid deportation and remain in the US.^[2] Vargas came out as gay in high school in 1999, a decision he describes as being "less daunting than coming out about my legal status".^[2]

In 1998, he began an internship at the Mountain View Voice, a local newspaper, and he later became a "copy boy" for the San Francisco Chronicle. Vargas attended San Francisco State University, gaining a degree in Political Science and Black Studies. He interned for the Philadelphia Daily News and for The Washington Post.^[4]

Journalism[link]

[edit] Work for The Washington Post

In 2004, immediately after graduating from San Francisco State he was hired by The Washington Post ^[4] Style section, at first to cover the video-game boom. He became known for his anecdotal coverage of the HIV epidemic in Washington.^[5] His coverage of this issue was adapted into a documentary called The Other City, released in 2010.^[6] In 2007, he was part of the Washington Post team covering the Virginia Tech shootings, earning a Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting.

When Vargas made a pitch for himself as a politics reporter for the Post, he told his editor, "You need someone to cover the presidential campaign who has a Facebook account and who looks at YouTube every day." Vargas went on to cover the 2008 presidential campaign,^[5] including a 2007 front-page article on Wikipedia's impact on the 2008 election.^[7]

He also wrote an online column called "The Clickocracy" on the Post’s website.^[8]

Pulitzer Prize[link]

Vargas authored or contributed to three Washington Post articles about the Virginia Tech shootings that were awarded the 2008 Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Reporting.^[9]

In "Students Make Connections at a Time of Total Disconnect," from April 17, 2007, Vargas reported on the role of technology in students’ experiences during the Virginia Tech shootings.^[10] He described graduate student Jamal Albarghouti running towards the gun shots when he heard them, taking out his cell phone to take a shaky, one minute video that would later air on CNN.com. "This is what this YouTube-Facebook-instant messaging generation does," Vargas wrote. "Witness. Record. Share." The article also discussed the role of Facebook.com, which students used to keep in touch during the event. Albarghouti returned to his apartment to find 279 new Facebook messages, Vargas recounted, and another student, Trey Perkins, faced a similar inundation.

Vargas contributed to the article " 'Pop, Pop, Pop': Students Down, Doors Barred, Leaps to Safety," which was published on April 17, 2007.^[11] Through interviews with eyewitnesses, the story recounts the events of the Virginia Tech shootings.

He also contributed to the article "That Was the Desk I Chose to Die Under," which ran in The Washington Post on April 19, 2007.^[12] Vargas was able to gain an interview with an eyewitness to the shootings by approaching him through Facebook, he explained to GMA News. “I got him on the phone, we talked for about 25 minutes, and he was the only eyewitness we had on the story, so it was a critical part of it," Vargas explained.^[3]

[edit] Work for The Huffington Post

In July 2009, Vargas left the Post to join The Huffington Post, part of an exodus of young talent from the paper.^[13] Arianna Huffington introduced herself to Vargas at a Washington Press Club Foundation dinner after overhearing someone mistake him for a busboy.

Vargas joined Huffington Post as Technology and Innovations Editor where he created a "Technology as Anthropology" blog and launched the Technology vertical in September 2009 and the College vertical in February 2010.^[14]

Other work[link]

Vargas's articles on the AIDS epidemic in the nation's capital inspired a feature-length documentary, The Other City, which he co-produced and wrote. Directed by Susan Koch and co-produced by Sheila Johnson, it premiered at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival^[15] and aired on Showtime.^[16]

In September 2010, Vargas profiled Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in an article for The New Yorker.^[17][18]

Immigration law advocacy[link]

In 2011, Vargas wrote an essay for The New York Times Sunday Magazine, in which he revealed that he is an "undocumented immigrant".^[2] Vargas's essay received much media attention and was at the top of the Times "most-emailed" list the week it was published.^[19] He received the June 2011 "Sidney" award for his essay, an award given by The Sidney Hillman Foundation to the "outstanding piece of socially-conscious journalism" published each month.^[20] He founded "Define American",^[21] a project aimed at facilitating dialogue about the DREAM Act and immigration issues, which would allow undocumented immigrants a path to citizenship through education or service in the military.^[2] The organization also invites individuals to share their experiences via video.^[22][23]

In 2012 Vargas worked with filmmaker Chris Weitz on a group of four short documentaries entitled Is this Alabama? about the effects of Alabama's immigration legislation.^[24][25] The documentary, which advocates the repeal of HB 56, is a collaboration of Define American, America's Voice, and the Center for American Progress.^[26]

References[link]

External links[link]

	Journalism portal
	Philippines portal
	Washington, D.C. portal

• Column archive at The Huffington Post
• Appearances on C-SPAN
• Jose Antonio Vargas at the Internet Movie Database