Prospect Ronney Vargas shot dead

In yet another horrible story I'm sad to relay, junior middleweight prospect Ronney Vargas (8-0, 6 KO) was shot and killed in New York on August 16. He was just 20 years old.

Vargas was a three-time New York Golden Gloves champion and considered a very promising young fighter. He fought for the last time on July 31 in North Bergen, New Jersey, knocking out James Denson in the third round.

The Daily News reports that police say Vargas was pistol-whipped and then shot in the chest, which killed him. It was the result of a dispute that Vargas and friends had with two couples at a deli, where Vargas talked to some girls and apparently enraged their boyfriends or whatever.

The police source referred to the killing as "senseless" and "stupid." He said a mouthful with that one. Vargas was pronounced dead at St. Barnabas Hospital, and no arrests have been made.

The Bronx native was nicknamed "Venezuela" and by all accounts was well-liked in his neighborhood. His grieving father, German, said, "He had a future. They didn't just kill a boxer, they killed a champ."

Rest in peace, Ronney.