On Saturday, 25th February 2006, a highly anticipated match took place between Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The fight, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, was a WBA Super-welterweight Title Eliminator and was aired on HBO World Championship Boxing. Mosley, with a record of 41-4-0, weighed in at 152 lbs, while Vargas, boasting a record of 26-2-0, weighed in at 153½ lbs. Vargas, hailing from Oxnard, California, took on Mosley in a match that promised to be closely contested.
The fight began with Mosley starting strong, landing powerful right hands and causing a hematoma over Vargas's left eye. Despite the early damage, Vargas managed to mount a comeback in the middle rounds, connecting with his own power shots and making the fight more competitive.
As the fight progressed, Mosley regained momentum and continued to target Vargas's injured left eye. This relentless attack caused Vargas's eye to swell shut, significantly impacting his ability to defend himself and continue the fight effectively.
In the 10th round, with Vargas's left eye completely swollen shut, referee Joe Cortez decided to stop the fight at 1:22, awarding Shane Mosley the victory by TKO. This decision proved to be a critical moment in the contest, as the judges' scorecards indicated a close fight up to that point.
The financial stakes of the match were also substantial, with Shane Mosley's purse totalling $3 million plus a percentage of the pay-per-view revenue.
