LOS ANGELES -- Fernando Vargas has a new style and a new attitude -- and both were evident in his return to the ring.

He stopped Fitz Vanderpool at 2:36 of the sixth round of their junior middleweight bout Saturday night, and then displayed a seldom-seen humble side.

"I lost my last fight. For people to still be with me, I thank them from the bottom of my heart," he said. "My fans are crazy, they're fanatical. I love them. This is legendary for me."

Vargas was fighting for the first time since suffering a crushing loss to Oscar De La Hoya in their junior middleweight championship bout Sept. 14. He later tested positive for steroids, and received a nine-month suspension and $100,000 fine. Vargas says he thought he was taking nutritional supplements.

Saturday night's fight before a sellout crowd of 6,700 at the Grand Olympic Auditorium was also Vargas' first in Southern California since his professional debut in his hometown of Oxnard, Calif., 5½ years ago.

He was the clear winner of every round, leading on the judges' scorecards by 50-45, 50-45 and 50-44 in the first five rounds of the bout, scheduled for 10 rounds.

The Associated Press had Vargas leading 50-45.

Vanderpool threw 316 punches, but landed only 44, and none appeared to do more than minimal damage.

Vargas threw 243 punches, landing 125 -- many of which were solid blows.

"I was going to go 10 rounds if necessary. I was ready," Vargas said. "I started putting my punches together and everything turned out the way it did."

Buddy McGirt, hired as Vargas' co-trainer earlier this year, is working to change the fighter's style to some degree.

"For a guy who was off nine months, he did very well," McGirt said. "I told him, 'Don't worry about the knockout, just wear him down.'"

That's what Vargas did.

"You're always going to start with your old style," Vargas said. "At the end of the day, I started doing what Buddy was teaching -- shaking and baking, finishing my punches.

"It was hard to hold back in front of the crowd. I needed to work on what I've been working on in the gym -- the body. I'm 25, what's the rush? I need to be a better fighter, I need to be a hungrier fighter. There was a little rust."

There were no knockdowns, although Vanderpool hit the canvas four times on what were ruled slips. The final two came in the sixth round before Vargas cornered Vanderpool and was punching his defenseless opponent at will. Referee Marty Denken stopped the fight.

The 35-year-old Vanderpool, who was born in Trinidad and moved to Canada at age 4, was fighting his first big-name opponent. He entered the ring ranked as the No. 1 WBC junior middleweight contender while Vargas was ranked third.

Vanderpool said he thought Denken stopped the bout too soon.

"Another two rounds, it would have been my fight," he said. "My jab was starting to work."

Vargas, who weighed 156 pounds, raised his record to 23-2 with 21 knockouts. The 35-year-old Vanderpool, 154, fell to 24-5-4 with 13 knockouts.

On the undercard, Manny Pacquio of The Philippines retained his IBF junior featherweight championship by stopping Emanuel Lucero of Mexico City at 48 seconds of the third round.

Pacquio landed a right-left combination that left Lucero staggering and out on his feet. Referee Jose Cobain quickly stepped in and stopped the bout, scheduled for 12 rounds.

Pacquio, 121½ pounds, raised his record to 37-3-1 with 29 knockouts. Lucero, 120 pounds, dropped to 21-1-1 with 12 knockouts.

Both fighters are 24, Neither was close to going down before the sudden ending.