It was a conflict of a brand new champion in opposition to a veteran former champion and ultimately, the veteran Rey Vargas emerged victorious in taking the WBC featherweight title from Mark Magasayo by break up resolution Saturday evening in San Antonio, TX.
Vargas’ win got here by scores of 115-112 on two of the playing cards with the third choose siding with the beforehand unbeaten Magsayo at 114-113 in the Showtime Boxing/Premier Boxing Champions main event at the Alamodome,
AND THE NEW 🏆@reyvargasbox scores a choice win over Magsayo to turn out to be the WBC featherweight world champ after an unbelievable battle 🙌#MagsayoVargas pic.twitter.com/25N7Cdjaxy
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) July 10, 2022
The taller and extra skilled Vargas used his jab a tough left hooks to take management of the bout within the center rounds, however then, the Filipino champ turned your complete battle on a single punch within the ninth spherical. That’s when he dropped the Mexican with a straight proper hand in shut quarters for a knockdown. Nevertheless, importantly, Vargas didn’t let Magsayo, now 26-1, comply with up for a doable second knockdown or stoppage earlier than the bell.
Nonetheless, Magsayo, who had beaten veteran WBC champ Gary Russell in an upset decision to take the title in January, was approaching robust and scored with proper palms within the tenth spherical to win that body on all three official judges’ playing cards.
Ultimately, Vargas, 36-0, 22 KOs, put issues again collectively along with his jab and retaining distance from Magsayo. He gained the ultimate two rounds on the playing cards and that gave him the title win. Last Compubox numbers confirmed Vargas out-landing Magsayo 135-92 in energy pictures and 196-132 total for the bout.
“I’m at a lack of phrases. I labored laborious for this. I wish to thank God, my household, [trainer] Nacho [Beristain]. The primary title I gained, I loved it tremendously however this one is particular. This win is for me,” Vargas stated to Showtime after the bout.
“It was an excellent battle, my dad was stuffed with emotional when he spoke to me at this time… Now I need the unification bout. I wish to battle Leo Santa Cruz. We’ve already talked about it with my group.”
Vargas, who beforehand held the WBC Jr. Featherweight title from 2017-19 for 4 defenses, now has one other world title within the division up.
In the meantime, it’s a tricky loss for the Filipino, who’s star pale in “the Lone Star State” virtually as fast because it had risen six months in the past within the Russell upset.
Earlier within the evening, former 122 lb. world title holder Brandon Figueroa returned within the ring for the primary time in 2022 and did in order a featherweight stopping veteran Carlos Castro within the sixth spherical. Figueroa dropped Castro, who got here in with just one loss in his professional profession, within the third spherical with a few laborious physique pictures. He virtually stopped Castro with a barrage of punches after, however couldn’t end him. Apparently, Castro rallied within the fourth and fifth and was scoring on Figueroa. Nevertheless, Figueroa turned that proper again round within the early a part of the sixth spherical, when his barrage of 15 unanswered pictures resulted within the TKO at 2:11.
The victory improved the Texan Figueroa to 23-1-1 with the one loss coming final November in an excellent bantamweight unification bout with Stephen Fulton. Fulton gained a slender resolution, nevertheless it seems, for now, Figueroa will keep up a weight at featherweight and would possibly search for a title shot with Rey Vargas now, as properly.
