Berchelt: I'm Very Focused To Give Francisco Vargas First Loss

By Ben Jacobs

Anytime two Mexican fighters with big knockout ratios face each other, particularly when a world title is on the line, the attention of boxing fans worldwide is raised.

On January 28 Francisco Vargas (23-0-2, 17 KOs) defends his WBC belt against Miguel Berchelt (30-1, 27 KOs) at the Fantasy Springs Casino in California.  BoxingScene.com had the opportunity to speak to Berchelt this week who is based at his training camp in Sonora, Mexico.

“I’ve been training since August!  I thought I was going to fight Orlando Cruz but he ended up fighting Flanagan,” he revealed.  “It would have been a good fight but something a lot better turned up, against Vargas, and for the world title.  I’m feeling very motivated.”

Berchelt has vacated his WBO interim title to go for the WBC crown, something that adds further motivation given the great champions from Mexico that have held the title.

“It’s not an interim fight, it’s for the WBC world title and against a true world champion like Francisco Vargas.  Every boxing fan knows what he’s like – he’s very courageous, he has a lot of heart, he never stops throwing punches - but I have my own style. 

“I have one defeat on my record and I learnt a lot from it, now I prepare myself for every fight as if it were for a title.  I’m very focused on giving a great fight and taking his undefeated record.”

‘El Bandido’ Vargas would appear to be the betting favourite as well as the projected winner in the eyes of the fans but Berchelt believes that several factors give him the confidence that he can win this contest.

“Every fight is different, fights are about styles and he has his.  He had a war with Miura and then with Salido, very hard fights so maybe it is an advantage to me that he’s been in a lot of wars.  I could look to open a cut on him early on and then they stop the fight.  But cuts don’t stop Francisco Vargas!  It fires him up more and whoever is better prepared and intelligent in the ring will come away with the victory.”

One look at Berchelt’s record would suggest he is a slugger but after suffering a loss to Luis Eduardo Flores via a first round stoppage back in 2014, the Mexican has adjusted his style to be more patient.

“I don’t know yet if I’ll box him or go toe-to-toe but my knockout ratio backs up the fact that I punch hard.  If we do have to go toe-to-toe it can work in my favour.  You shouldn’t go out and look for the knockout, but thanks to my training and punching power I have never been 12 rounds. 

“I know this is the biggest fight of my career up until now.  Beating someone like Vargas I’ll also earn the respect of the boxing public, that’s important as well and Vargas is a great champion.”