MASAM SPORTS 23: MARK MAGSAYO TO DEFEND TITLE AGAINST REY VARGAS AS ORDERED BY WBC
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 27 Jan 2022
After winning the World Boxing Council featherweight title, the next opponent for the new champion Mark Magsayo has been identified. The WBC announced that Mexican Rey Vargas will be the mandatory challenger as ordered before then titlist Gary Russell Jr. was set to defend against Magsayo.
Magsayo is fresh from an upset victory dethroning Gary Russell Jr. of Washington, DC., as Magsayo ended Russell’s reign of six years and 10 months, which was the longest active title rule before the bout in Atlantic City, New Jersey where he won a majority decision.
Russell disclosed that he had a right shoulder injury before the fight and after the fourth round it bothered him so much that he had to fight with one hand until the final bell, with the speculations that a rematch could happen next.
"I am very happy that the WBC reiterated my position as a title challenger. I feel very happy and very happy," said Vargas in a press conference as quoted by DAZN News. "Magsayo is a wider fighter, but he is smarter. Yes he has more strength than Gary Russell, but Magsayo showed a lot of intelligence in this fight," he said.
The WBC explained that Magsayo could not pick an optional fight because he assumed the obligations of the previous champion Russel, who had already been ordered to face Vargas.
During the same virtual conference, Magsayo said that if he will be given the chance to choose his opponent it would be Leo Santa Cruz or Luis Nery.
"I want to fight Mexicans, they are great fighters, warriors. I would like to fight Leo Santa Cruz or Luis Nery," said the newly crowned world champion.
Magsayo of Tagbilaran City, Bohol said he would let his promoter, MP Promotions, decide on his fights. “It’s up to MP Promotions what’s next for me. I can fight anybody now because I’m the champion. I’d also like to unify too,” said Magsayo. “I’ll do my best to defend the title and stay as champion. Thank you for the opportunity.”
The WBC No. 1 contender Rey Vargas of Mexico is 31-years-old, has an unblemished career record of 35-0 with 22 KOs. Vargas is a former WBC super bantamweight champion. The Mexican is taller at 5-10 1/2 (179 cm) with a reach of 70 1/2 inches, than Magsayo who is 5-8 (169 cm) with a reach of 67 1⁄2 in (171 cm).
Magsayo’s record is also immaculate at 24-0, with 16 KOs. His manager Sean Gibbons said having Vargas as the next foe would be similar to fighting fellow Mexican Emanuel Navarrete with a record of 36-0 with 29 KOs. Either of the two would be a tough opponent for Magsayo.
On February 25, 2017, Vargas fought Englishman Gavin McDonnell for the vacant WBC super bantamweight title which took place in Hull, England. Vargas won a majority decision 117-111, 116–112, 114-114 to become a world champion.
He defended his title five times against United States' Ronny Rios by UD12, Colombia's Oscar Negrete by UD12, Armenia's Azat Hovhannisyan by UD12, Venezuela's Franklin Manzanilla by UD12, and Japan's Tomoki Kameda by UD12.
Vargas' last stoppage victory was a fifth round TKO of Venezuela's Alexander Muñoz on September 3, 2016 in Mexico to win the vacant WBC international silver super bantamweight title. That was before winning the world title from McDonnell.
“We are the mandatory challenger, Mr. Sulaiman has just confirmed it. We knew we were going straight to the title, we just waited to find out who would win that fight between Russell and Magsayo and since Magsayo is the new champion, then we are going against him,” Vargas told ESTO
Vargas added that the title shot comes to him at an excellent time, during this period of his life which has greater maturity. His goal is to be a new world champion again.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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