Vargas Over Magsayo – Captures WBC Featherweight Title

By Tom Donelson / Author, Member Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA)

It was like old times. A Mexican fighter trained by Nacho Beristain, the legendary Mexican trainer, fighting a Filipino fighter trained by Freddie Roach. Only it wasn’t Juan Marquez versus Manny Pacquaio; it was the undefeated featherweight champion Mark Magsayo, a Filipino fighter, against undefeated Rey Vargas, who was moving up to the featherweight division from the super bantamweight division and looking for his second title in a different weight class.

Magsayo captured his featherweight title from Gary Russell, Jr. and Vargas has not stopped any opponent in six years. Vargas was the taller fighter and looked more like a featherweight than Magsayo as he was more than four inches taller.

Magsayo won the first round, and I gave him the second round, but that round was close and Vargas actually out landed Magsayo. I had Vargas winning every round from the third to the ninth round as his jab disrupted Magsayo’s momentum. Magsayo rarely tried to jab his way beneath Vargas’ jab and nor did he do a good job of cutting off the ring. 

Compubox observed that Vargas was the busier fighter, landing 16 punches per round while throwing 57 punches per round.  Magsayo only averaged throwing 38 punches while landing 11 punches per round.  Vargas landed 40% of his power shots compared to 37% for Magsayo.

Vargas was winning the tenth round but in the last minute, Magsayo connected on two rights that sent Vargas down. Vargas got back up, but Magsayo tried to end it right there as he threw haymaker after haymaker but failed to deliver the final blow.

The eleventh round was even but Magsayo failed to deliver in the final round as Vargas boxed his way to an easy decision. Two of the judges had it 115-112 which was what I had but I could only give Magsayo four rounds and there were two rounds that could have easily been given to Vargas; it could have easily been 117-110 in favor of Vargas. One judge had it 114-113 for Magsayo but there was no way that Magsayo won six rounds. The punches per round showed that Magsayo landed more punches in only three rounds. One of them was the tenth in which he knocked Vargas down.

Vargas was able to adapt and adjust as he used his jab to set up his combinations. He landed effective body shots and throughout most of the fight, kept the fight in the middle of ring. He was the better technician throughout the bout and, other than the tenth round, controlled the fight.

Vargas game plan was effective and Magsayo’s was not.  Hall of Fame trainer Beristain’s fighter was the better prepared fighter over Freddie Roach’s fighter.

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