VARGAS AND WHITTAKER AIM TO SHINE ON HUGE ZAYAS-BOOTS BROOKLYN STAGE
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 01 May 2026
Rising stars land on blockbuster night at Barclays Center on June 27, exclusively live on DAZN
Emiliano Vargas and Ben Whittaker have vowed to dazzle on the very biggest stage, as their fights on the undercard of the blockbuster showdown between Xander Zayas and Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis are announced for Saturday June 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, exclusively live worldwide on DAZN – with Vargas facing Bryce Mills for the WBC USA Silver, WBO Latino and NABF Jr. Super-Lightweight titles and Whittaker meeting Richard Rivera for the WBC Silver Light-Heavyweight title.
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Vargas’s clash with Mills acts as the co-main event on the card, and it’s another spotlight moment for the Californian starlet who has had an incredible year already. The 22 year old began 2026 with a starring role alongside Zayas in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show in Santa Clara in February, shortly after being named as The Ring’s 2025 prospect of the year ahead of his return to the ring later that month where he forced the retirement of Agustin Quintana after nine rounds of their co-main clash on another huge card, the unification showdown between Emanuel Navarrete and Sugar Nunez in Glendale, Arizona.
Vargas (17-0 14 KOs) will be looking for the 18th victory of his blossoming career in the Big Apple, but Mills (22-1 9 KOs) will have other ideas. The Liverpool, NY man fights for the third time in 2026 and defends the WBC belt that he won in February at Turning Stone in Verona with a fourth round stoppage of Tobias Green, and successfully defended the strap two months later in Rochester by forcing Julio Rosa to retire after three rounds of their clash.
“I have had an incredible start to the year, and I have no intention of slowing down,” said Vargas. “On June 27 at Barclays Center, I will step onto the biggest stage of my career on DAZN PPV, ready to seize this opportunity and make it clear to every champion in the division: “El General” is coming! ¡Vengo por todo!”
Whittaker (11-0-1 8 KOs) makes his American debut on June 27 and does so hot on the heels of a second emphatic first round KO win under the Matchroom banner. The 2020 Olympic silver medal man destroyed Braian Suarez in Liverpool a fortnight ago to rubber-stamp his trip Stateside, five months after making his promotional debut under Eddie Hearn with a late contender for KO of the year in his Birmingham, close to his Wolverhampton hometown.
The flashy Brit could make a big statement with a third KO in a row on his bow across the pond and send a message to the 175lb division – the exact same prize on offer for Rivera if he can hand a first pro defeat to his 28 year old foe. Rivera (27-2 20 KOs) steps back through the ropes for the first time since landing a first round KO win of his own in January 2025 in Connecticut, a second win in a row following a ten round triumph in his home state in April 2024, and ‘Popeye’ will be relishing his biggest stage since being edged out by Badou Jack in Saudi Arabia on the undercard of the World Heavyweight unification rematch between Oleksandr Usyk and Anthony Joshua in August 2022.
“I am really excited to make my American debut in the Big Apple on such a big card,” said Whittaker. "I’ve got a lot of love for the American fans, and we’ve developed a great relationship over recent years, so I can’t wait to get out there and put on a spectacular performance for them.”
“The British are coming, the British are coming!” said Rivera. “If Ben thinks he is going to my backyard to make a statement, history will repeat itself. I’m not gonna need a can of spinach for this fight. Ben might have the boxing world fooled, but I’m not convinced.”
A third fight announced for the undercard sees Jahi Tucker (16-1-1 7 KOs) take on Euri Cedeno (14-0-1 12 KOs) over ten rounds for the vacant IBF North American, WBC USA and WBO NABO Middleweight titles, with more undercard action to be announced in due course, all ahead of a stunning main event as Zayas puts his unified WBO and WBA World Super-Welterweight titles on the line against former unified Welterweight ruler Ennis.
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