Vargas banks on change of scenery, trainer

There was a Nevada Highway Patrol car sitting at the intersection of Kyle Canyon Road and Lee Canyon Road. It wasn’t there to serve as an escort for a VIP but rather to catch speeders barreling down the hill toward U.S. Highway 95.

But perhaps the next time Jessie Vargas trains at Mount Charleston, he’ll be a big enough name that he can get a police escort to and from the gym.

Normally, Vargas would be sweltering in Las Vegas, dealing with triple-digit temperatures as he prepares for a summer fight. Not this time.

The 26-year-old Palo Verde High School graduate moved his training camp from the Top Rank Gym in Las Vegas to the cooler climes of Mount Charleston to get ready for the biggest fight of his career.

Vargas, the undefeated World Boxing Association junior welterweight champion, moves back up to 147 pounds as he faces former world welterweight champ Timothy Bradley on Saturday at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., in the main event on HBO.

“I first came up here when I was 14 years old and I promised myself that one day I would train here,” said Vargas (26-0, nine knockouts). “This was something I wanted to do for a long time but I couldn’t afford it. Now that I’ve done it, it’s the only way to go.

“For me, I see it as an investment in my career. If it helps me win the fight, it will pay for itself many times over.”

Not only did Vargas change locations to train for Bradley, he also changed trainers. Shortly after the fight was officially announced May 18, Vargas parted ways with Roy Jones Jr. and joined forces with former world champion Erik Morales.

Jones had other obligations and couldn’t be there for Vargas the entire training camp. For Vargas, that wasn’t going to suffice. But Morales has more than filled the void, and while it may not be the optimum thing to do in changing trainers a month before a big fight, Vargas has looked good in his preparation for Bradley and he and Morales appear to have developed a chemistry between them.

“I’m probably in the best shape of my life,” Vargas said prior to a sparring session at Spring Mountain Youth Camp, which sits at an elevation of 8,470 feet and where Vargas has donated equipment and made the gym there his home away from home.

Vargas, whose team has been headquartered at the Mount Charleston Lodge, some 15 minutes down the hill from the school, has been able to concentrate on his job. And while he admits that things can get a bit boring at times, it will all be worth it if he can take down Bradley on Saturday.

“It’s been better than I thought it would be,” he said. “I’ve been able to train with no distractions. We were able to get all our work done. Everything I needed was here. And it was so peaceful and cooler up here.”

No kidding.

Last week, the thermometer hit 108 degrees in the valley. At the gym, it was 72. And with the move back up to 147 from 140 pounds, Vargas was able to eat what he wanted and build his strength. He sparred over 100 rounds to prepare for Saturday’s fight with the once-beaten Bradley, who split his two meetings with Manny Pacquiao.

Morales is the fifth trainer Vargas has had since he turned pro in 2008. He started with Roger Mayweather, then switched to Robert Alcazar when Mayweather’s health forced him to dial back his workload. In 2013, Vargas aligned himself with Ismael Salas, who was in his corner on April 12, 2014, the night he won the WBA title over Khabib Allakhverdiev at the MGM Grand Garden.

Salas, who was also there for Vargas’ first title defense last Aug. 2 against Anton Novikov, left the U.S. for England. He wanted Vargas to join him but Vargas couldn’t leave Las Vegas. So he hired Jones, who was in his corner when he defeated Antonio DeMarco on Nov. 23 in Macau.

“Sometimes things happen in life and you have to make changes,” Vargas said. “But I’ve learned and taken something from each trainer.

“Roger taught me about confidence. Robert Alcazar taught me about being patient. Salas taught me how to think in the ring and Roy showed me how to train and perform like a professional.”

Morales didn’t try to remake Vargas. There simply wasn’t enough time. What he attempted to do is refine the fighter, improve his defense and get him throwing his jab more.

“To beat a fighter like Bradley, you have to be able to do a lot of things and do them well,” Vargas said. “You have to be able to box him. You have to be able to stand in there and trade with him. You need good defense and a good jab. Erik understands all this and he has done a great job teaching things in the short time we’ve been together.”

Those elements were on display as Vargas sparred with Phil Lo Greco and Jesus “Chuy” Gutierrez last week. He was much more elusive defensively, especially in moving his head, and he was using his jab well to set up his other punches. Morales wants Vargas to throw more combinations in Saturday’s fight and use his size and speed to full advantage against Bradley (31-1-1, 12 KOs).

“He’s a fast learner,” Morales said through an interpreter. “You tell him something once and he does it.

“He’s also a hard worker. I’m not trying to change everything (Vargas) does. I’m showing him some things that I think will help him beat Bradley. Just trying to make him a little sharper with what he does.”

And as important as it is that Vargas be in top shape physically, his mental preparation has been equally impressive. He has become more confident with each passing year of his pro career and he has never been more relaxed leading up to a fight.

“I have complete trust and confidence in my team,” he said. “The only thing I have to do is train and get myself ready.”

Prior to heading to the gym, Team Vargas met in the lobby of the Mount Charleston Lodge. It wasn’t a strategy session. It was a friendly lunch, with everyone laughing and joking while having chicken, salad, rice and beans. If there is pressure on Vargas, you couldn’t tell being around him or his team.

“It’s a great group of guys,” he said. “They’ve got my back and when you’re surrounded by people you trust, it makes training so much easier.”

And with fight week upon him, Vargas has broken camp, returned to Las Vegas and flew to Los Angeles on Saturday night to handle some media obligations on Sunday. The timing was right as he admitted he was starting to get a bit restless.

So how does he see himself, a 4-1 underdog, winning this fight come Saturday?

“I’ve got to use my skills and my smarts and break him down,” he said. “I’m younger, I’m stronger, I believe in myself and I know what winning this fight does for my career. It puts me at a whole new level.

“The reason I wanted this fight was because I want to fight the biggest names. My first choice was Pacquiao. But I knew that wasn’t going to happen. So why not fight the guy who beat Pacquiao?”

The same guy Pacquiao gave his only loss to.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.