The Olympic Games in Atlanta were supposed to be the defining moment of Vargas' brilliant amateur career. It turned out instead to be the defining moment of amateur boxing. Spectators and experts alike learned that "you may beat your opponent, but the ridiculous computer scoring system that we use, may beat you." Vargas' hard work went un-rewarded, and although a terrific amateur career (100-5) ended on a down note, the future was bright.

Putting his Olympic disappointment behind him, Vargas enthusiastically turned pro. His debut was set for his hometown of Oxnard, CA on November 22, 1996. While training for the bout, Vargas broke his right hand, putting his professional prizefighting career in jeopardy. But Vargas' mental toughness would not allow any injury to derail his dreams. He approached his physical therapy with the same devotion that he applies to his conditioning, and within no time his hand healed and he was ready for his pro-debut.

In his professional debut on March 25, 1997, the young lion Vargas crushed Jorge Morales--a veteran of 33 bouts--in just 56 seconds. Immediately, a star was born.

After eliminating Claude Staten and Bill Burden in consecutive second-round knockouts, Vargas mercilessly battered the overmatched Jim Maloney (TKO 1). In less than three minutes of work, Vargas bloodied Maloney's nose and sent him sailing through the ropes into the arms of one of the judges.

On July 12, 1997, Eugene Lopez met the same fate as Maloney, shattering after receiving a crippling left hook to the body (KO 1).

On August 19, 1997, Vargas battled Kevin Payne--a promising young fighter himself who had won seven of his first eight professional bouts. Vargas stormed through Payne just as he had stormed through his first five opponents, landing a bone-shattering combination at 1:13 of round one that sent Payne reeling to the canvas, unable to arise (KO 1).

In six professional fights Vargas had fought a total of only eight rounds.

On October 4, 1997, in what was undoubtedly his finest performance as a professional, Vargas dismantled tough veteran Alex Quiroga. Quiroga's relentless style forced Vargas to war for three minutes of every round. Despite possessing a granite chin and lethal punching power, Quiroga was unable to fend off Vargas' vicious onslaught. Vargas mauled Quiroga with devastating overhand rights and bone-crunching left hooks to the ribcage, forcing referee Eddie Cotton to stop the bout in the sixth round (TKO 6). So dominating was "Ferocious" Fernando that it appeared midway through round five as if Quiroga was looking to the referee to halt the bout.

After flooring Jose Fernandez three times in round one on November 22, 1997 to stretch his professional knockout string to eight, Vargas battled New Orleans brawler Eduardo Martinez.

On December 13, 1997, Vargas exterminated Martinez with a vicious barrage midway through round two (TKO 2). Vargas landed a left hook, rocking Martinez before flooring him with a brutal combination. Recognizing that Martinez could not rise to his feet, the referee halted the bout while Martinez sat on the canvas. So stunned was Martinez by the Vargas assault that when the ringside physician asked him what he had been hit with, Martinez responded, "Everything."

The Vargas express rolled through Atlantic City, NJ on March 13, 1998, as Vargas thrashed the tough, well-schooled Dan Connolly (TKO 2). A blistering series of left hooks and uppercuts early in round two forced the referee to jump onto Vargas' back to prevent him from inflicting any further punishment on the game Connolly. Vargas' victory raised the eyebrows of boxing insiders who were aware that it had taken 1996 gold medallist David Reid five rounds to dispatch of Connolly in their November 22, 1997 match.

After destroying Ron Johnson (TKO 4) and top contender Anthony Stephens (KO 5) in consecutive bouts, Vargas received his first opportunity to headline an HBO fight card.

On August 22, 1998, Vargas battled rugged New Jersey native Darren Maciunski in the co-feature bout to the Arturo Gatti-Ivan Robinson 10 round war. Both bouts were broadcast live on HBO's "Boxing After Dark" program. Vargas, anxious to punish Maciunski for the belittling comments spewed by the Jersey brawler prior to the bout, did not disappoint boxing fans who had stayed up late to watch the highly-acclaimed boxing series.

Fernando hammered Maciunski from the opening bell, flattening the relentless challenger in round one with a jaw-shattering overhand right. Conditions grew worse for Maciunski in round two as he tasted the canvas for the second time in the bout, courtesy of another crippling right cross. In rounds three through six, despite suffering a head-butt induced cut that later required 12 stitches, Vargas mercilessly battered Maciunski around the ring, badly bruising the game, but overmatched, challenger. Finally, with less than 30 seconds remaining in round six, Vargas landed in excess of 10 unanswered punches, forcing the referee to halt the bout with just three seconds remaining in the round (TKO 6).

Vargas struck swiftly on the evening of December 12, 1998 in Atlantic City, NJ. Early in round two a left-jab, overhand right combination opened a cut above Campas' right eye. In round three an overhand right buckled the legs of the champion. By the end of round six Campas wanted to quit. Diaz warned his fighter in the corner before round seven: "If you don't win this round, I'm going to stop this fight."

Midway through round seven an overhand right sent Campas' bloody mouthpiece sailing to the canvas. Four consecutive left hooks stunned Campas and brought the crowd to its feet. Moments later, an inside right staggered Campas again. Although he was able to finish the round, "Yory Boy" was clearly a beaten fighter psychologically, as well as physically.

Campas had had enough. Walking back to his corner following the end of round seven, Campas signaled to his trainer Miguel Diaz to stop the fight. Unable to see out of his swollen-shut right eye and bleeding profusely from his mouth, "Yory Boy" surrendered his IBF junior middleweight crown rather than subject himself to further punishment at the hands of the young lion who glared at him from across the ring. Overjoyed at Campas' submission, "Ferocious" Fernando Vargas sped across the ring in triumph to salute the adoring crowd. Little did those fans realize that they were applauding the youngest junior middleweight champion in boxing history: