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Boxer Samuel Vargas and promoter Lee Baxter look to win world title together

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TORONTO — Lee Baxter first met Samuel Vargas when the Colombian-Canadian boxer walked into Baxter's tattoo parlour in 2012. 

Six years later, the two are best friends and Baxter runs a boxing promotion company in addition to FY Ink and his other business ventures.

"He's the one that got me into this whole thing," said Baxter, a walking advertisement for his tattoo parlour who looks like he belongs in a Guy Ritchie movie.

Vargas invited Baxter to see him fight. Baxter, who had done some boxing training himself, ended up sponsoring him.

Baxter started managing another fighter and, after securing his release from another promoter in 2013, joined forces with Vargas, then unbeaten in 11 fights. Baxter served as his manager for the first two years then became his promoter.

Today the 29-year-old Vargas is the NABA welterweight champion with a record of 29-4-2.

"It's been a long road, a lot of bumps and turns and twists," said Baxter. "But I think it's that much better and that much stronger a relationship between us because we've been through everything together."

Vargas faces undefeated Argentine Adrian Gabriel Pereiro (27-0-0) in Saturday's main event of Baxter's "Risky Business" boxing card at the Coca-Cola Coliseum (formerly Ricoh Coliseum).

Vargas is moving down in weight while Pereiro, who has fought mostly at lightweight (135 pounds), comes up. The two are slated to fight at a catchweight of 144 pounds as Vargas prepares a move to light-welterweight (140 pounds).

Vargas has done most of his fighting at welterweight (147 pounds) and super-welterweight (154). He says he tries to keep his weight under 160 when not fighting.

NABA middleweight champion Patrice Volny of Montreal meets Ryan Young of Oakville, Ont., in the co-main event.

Vargas featured in the main event of Baxter's first card as a promoter in August 2015.

"There were maybe 300 people there and I think 60 of them paid," Baxter recalled with a chuckle. "I probably lost a pile of money but I was like 'I did it. I did it.'"

Vargas is coming off a decision loss to former world champion Amir Khan at welterweight in a September fight in Birmingham, England, that saw both fighters hit the canvas.

Baxter believes there is greatness in Vargas, providing he finds the right weight class.

"If he can comfortably make 140 pounds, I truly believe that he'll be my first world champion. And it will be a very sweet story."

So Saturday is an important test. Vargas tried fighting at a lower weight in a June draw with Argentina's Mauro Maximiliano Godoy and "he looked like crap," said Baxter.

"But a lot of that was because he didn't do it right," he added.

Vargas, who held his training camp in Spain with former welterweight champion Kell Brook, has already benefited from working with nutrionist Greg Marriott. Vargas will make the move to 140 pounds if all goes well Saturday.

Asked what makes Vargas special, trainer Chris Johnson is blunt before a final workout at the Hardknocks Boxing Club.

"His work ethic. His toughness. He's got big balls, if I can say that, and a lot of heart," he said. "He won't quit. He'll work from morning to night."

Vargas, who came to Canada from Colombia at 12 or 13, says he takes confidence from his performance against Khan. And he says he also learned a lot about himself under the Khan spotlight.

"I believe that clearly I've had a tough run, a lot of highs and a lot of lows, but I never gave up. I'm not going to give up," said Vargas, whose nose betrays his profession. "If you give up everything will be wasted. I don't believe in giving up. You keep working, you keep learning."

Baxter, who has promoted some two dozen shows, was a co-promoter — along with Floyd Mayweather — of the Adonis Stevenson-Badou Jack title fight at the Air Canada Centre in May.

This is his first card at the Coca-Cola Coliseum, the home of the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies. Most of his shows have been at the Danforth Music Hall or the Brampton CAA (formerly Powerade) Centre.

 

Follow @NeilMDavidson on Twitter

Neil Davidson, The Canadian Press


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