Fernando Vargas officially challenges Hector Camacho Jr.

You may have heard that Hector Camacho Jr. continued running up his empty record with a win over double-shot veteran Yori Boy Campas on Friday night, offered on glorious pay-per-view for $24.99 and likely bought by about 178 people across the nation.

And you may have also heard that Fernando Vargas entered the ring after and officially laid down a challenge to Camacho.

Camacho won a 10-round split decision against Campas, who drew Camacho's 47-year old father in another disgraceful stab at money earlier this year. When Camacho Jr. fought this summer in Cleveland, he and Vargas exchanged words, and word came out shortly after that Vargas was training again.

I don't mean this to be disrespectful, but Vargas has gotten fat since his last fight, in November 2007. We're talking about a guy who fought at 154 pounds. Look at him in that photo. If he's really been training, it's not paying off much yet. Vargas' "retirement" fight against Ricardo Mayorga took place at a 164-pound catchweight, and both fighters looked bloated there. The rumor is that Vargas wants to fight Camacho at light heavyweight, a 175-pound limit. Camacho has fought as high as 160, including weighing in just under 160 pounds this week for the supposed 154-pound fight with Campas.

All in all, it's not that I have anything against Vargas or even Camacho. I think Camacho's a third-rate pro boxer on his best days, but that's just my opinion as an observer. And while I was never a big Vargas fan, he put on some great fights and really wasn't afraid of anyone, ever.

But Vargas-Camacho stinks, just like most of Camacho's fights have. Prime-versus-prime, I'd have picked Vargas to tear Camacho's head off. And even with the layoff and the fact that he's simply not going to be in anything close to prime shape, I think he'd probably still beat Camacho if he even has 50% of his best stuff anymore. But I just can't get behind this fight any more than I got behind Camacho-Campas (either of them). They can keep telling us that Fernando doesn't need the money, and by all accounts he really doesn't, but he apparently needs something, and this doesn't exactly smack of a "good" return to the ring.

You know, if it ever actually happens.