WITH Rene Mark Cuarto yielding his IBF minimumweight title to Mexican Daniel Valladares last July 1, WBC featherweight champion Mark Magsayo now stands as the only remaining Filipino world boxing titleholder.
Magsayo, 24-0 with 16 knockouts, is booked to defend his WBC hardware for the first time this coming Sunday (Manila time), when he faces unbeaten Mexican Rey Vargas in San Antonio, Texas. The fight does not figure to be a walk in the park as Vargas is a genuine threat to Magsayo’s world title.
Vargas, 31, totes an unblemished record of 35-0 with 22 knockouts. In March 2021, then WBC featherweight champ Gary Russell Jr. agreed to defend against Vargas, but the fight fell through when Vargas sought additional time to recover from a leg injury.
Russell instead fought Magsayo in January 2022 and lost by majority decision. Magsayo, as the new WBC champ, found himself obligated to defend against Vargas.
Vargas was born Rey Geovani Vargas Roldan in Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico. He grew up in dirt poverty and was persuaded to lace on the gloves by his father Carlos Vargas, a former boxer.
Trained by his father in the amateur ranks, Vargas won seven national amateur championships in Mexico and the gold medal in the 2009 Pan-American Championships. Overall, he compiled a record of 128-6 as an amateur.
In April 2010, Vargas turned pro with a first-round knockout of Claudio Palacios. Vargas got off to a sizzling start, scoring 15 knockouts in his first 16 paid contests.
As Vargas inched closer to a world title shot, legendary Mexican boxing trainer Ignacio “Nacho” Beristain joined his corner in 2017. Beristain has trained a host of great champions, including Juan Manuel Marquez, Rafael Marquez, Ricardo Lopez, Daniel Zaragoza and Oscar de la Hoya.
Vargas won his first world title in February 2017, when he defeated Briton Gavin McDonnell for the vacant WBC junior featherweight (122 lbs) title. Vargas made five successful defenses of the crown. He seemed untouchable at junior featherweight, but after his successful defense against Japanese Tomoki Kameda in July 2019, Vargas disappeared.
In August 2020, Vargas broke his leg while running. The WBC declared Vargas a “champion in recess” but the Mexican opted to give up the crown and move up to the featherweight (126 lbs) division.
Vargas finally returned to the ring in November 2021, scoring an impressive 10-round decision over countryman Leonardo Baez in his featherweight debut. Vargas looked good against Baez but still failed to put away a foe who had been stopped in two of his last five fights going in.
Despite his inactivity and lack of experience at featherweight, the WBC installed Vargas as its No.1 contender, putting him next in line for Magsayo.
Vargas stands 5’10” and boasts of a 70-inch reach. He is a prolific body puncher and also loves to throw wicked uppercuts.
Vargas does not move his head well though and is slow to bring his hands back on defense. He has also exhibited vulnerability to the overhand right, but his high-octane offense and elongated arms make him a tough foe to handle.
Vargas has 22 knockouts in his resume, but the last time he scored a knockout win was September 2016, when he stopped a washed-up Alexander Munoz of Venezuela in five rounds. Munoz was the same guy who was demolished in 12 rounds by Filipino Genesis Servania in March 2014.
Vargas is no stranger to fighting Filipinos, having previously beaten Silvester Lopez (twice), Daniel Ferreras, Eduardo Mancito, Ernie Sanchez and Juanito Rubillar.
In his first meeting with Lopez in March 2014, Vargas was floored in the second round. Lopez failed to capitalize as he quit on his stool five rounds later because of an injured right knee.
In their rematch in November 2014, Lopez settled all doubts by stopping Lopez in eight rounds.
Vargas is no stranger to locking lips with the canvas, having been also floored by Manuel Garcia of the Dominican Republic in September 2015 and by Franklin Manzanilla of Venezuela in February 2019. Manzanilla pulled off the trick by nailing Vargas with a left hook, a punch that happens to be Magsayo’s favorite.
Amid questions about ring rust and the condition of his leg, Vargas has declared himself fit to do battle with Magsayo.
Vargas has not been in a world title fight since 2019 and is aching to have another belt wrapped around his waist. Vargas sees an explosive fight with Magsayo, noting that they are both willing to stand up and trade in the ring. Vargas is promising fireworks and truth be told boxing fans are expecting nothing less.
