The Problem
Routine Blood Test by Vargas Reveals Severe Anemia;
Sept. 8 Boxing Event at STAPLES Center Will Be Rescheduled
Vargas’s doctor ordered him on Aug. 25 to not participate in the highly anticipated match’s original date to take the necessary weeks of treatment to correct an iron deficiency. Vargas health has already improved to the point he is “chomping at the bit” to get back to full training, which will occur in about three weeks.
Promoters of the event, Don King Productions and Main Events in association with STAPLES Center, worked diligently to find an available date in the crowded STAPLES Center schedule before deciding on the Friday of Thanksgiving weekend. The event will also be televised live domestically beginning at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT at a suggested retail price of $44.95 and is being distributed by SHOWTIME® PPV.
Tickets remained on sale during the five days it took to reschedule the match. Astonishingly, undaunted boxing fans purchased over $16,000 worth of tickets during this time period—an incredible testament to the public’s desire to see Vargas vs. Mayorga.
Vargas (26-4, 22 KOs) is a two-time world champion and Mayorga (27-6-1, 22 KOs) is a three-time world champion. Their upcoming bout had been aptly dubbed “The Brawl” after a highly contentious confrontation between the fighters erupted at the initial press conference announcing the event in Los Angeles and again at a subsequent press conference in New York.
The Sports & Entertainment Center of the World, STAPLES Center is the downtown Los Angeles home of the most popular concerts, special events and five professional sports franchises: The NBA's Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers; the NHL's Los Angeles Kings; the AFL's Los Angeles Avengers; and the WNBA's Los Angeles Clippers as well as championship boxing, tennis, family shows and special events. Since its October 17, 1999, grand opening, STAPLES Center, twice named Arena of the Year, has welcomed over 25 million guests.
Main Events was founded in 1978 by Kathy Duva's late husband Dan Duva. In addition to the hundreds of world title bouts it has promoted, Main Events has promoted some of the biggest PPV events in history like "Showdown" the 1981 undisputed welterweight unification bout between "Sugar" Ray Leonard and Thomas "The Hitman" Hearns; "The Battle of the Ages" 1991 undisputed heavyweight championship between Evander Holyfield and George Foreman; the "Miss Howard Stern New Year's Eve" pageant, and the 2002 Lennox Lewis-Mike Tyson heavyweight showdown which at the time set the record for the highest grossing PPV event of all-time.
Don King Productions has promoted over 500 world championship fights with nearly 100 individual boxers having been paid $1 million or more. DKP also holds the distinction of having promoted or co-promoted seven of the 10 largest pay-per-view events in history, as gauged by total buys, including three of the top five: Holyfield vs. Tyson II, 1.99 million buys, June 1997; Tyson vs. Holyfield I, 1.6 million buys, November 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, 1.58 million buys, August 1995.
DKP has promoted or co-promoted 11 of the top 15 highest-grossing live gates in the history of the state of Nevada including four of the top five: Holyfield vs. Lewis II, paid attendance: 17,078, gross: $16,860,300 (NOTE: Also second-highest live-gate gross for any event in history.), date: Nov. 13, 1999; Holyfield vs. Tyson II, paid attendance: 16,279, gross: $14,277,200, date: June 28, 1997; Holyfield vs. Tyson I, paid attendance: 16,103, gross: $14,150,700, date: Nov. 9, 1996; and Tyson vs. McNeeley, paid attendance: 16,113, gross: $13,965,600, date: Aug. 19, 1995.
