Boxing: Vargas pulls out of Castillejo fight, citing bad back

Associated Press - December 19, 2003


LAS VEGAS (AP) - Fernando Vargas has pulled out of his scheduled Feb. 21 fight with former junior middleweight champion Javier Castillejo because of a bad back.

Vargas, who stopped Tony Marshall in seven rounds on Dec. 12, said he needed to rehabilitate his back fully before entering the ring again.

``I fought on Dec. 12 despite the pain because I had already postponed the Marshall fight once and it was too far along to postpone it again,'' Vargas said. ``But I think it's in my best interest to take whatever time I need to resolve my back problems, so that when I return to the ring to claim another world title I will be in 100 percent fighting shape.''

Vargas has fought twice, winning both, since being stopped by Oscar De La Hoya in September 2002. The former Olympian and 69-kilogram (154-pound) champion earlier postponed his fight with Marshall from Oct. 3 because of a bulging disc in his back.

Vargas said he will not reschedule the Castillejo fight until he sees how his rehabilitation program is going.