Francisco Vargas: record, next fight and profile →
by David P. Greisman - Francisco Vargas was in one of the best fights of 2015, got back in the ring seven months later and wound up in one of the best fights of 2016. He came back after another seven months off and went directly into another battle, a warrior who knew nothing but returning to the frontlines in ord...
Miguel Berchelt dethroned previously unbeaten Francisco Vargas, stopping him in the 11th round to seize the World Boxing Council super featherweight title in a showdown of Mexican rivals.
In a heart and soul performance before a sold-out crowd at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Miguel "El Alacran" Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) pulled the upset of a lifetime and was crowned the new after an 11th round stoppage of former two-time world champion Francisco "El Bandido" Vargas (23-1-2, 17 KOs). The fight featured moments of heavy exchanges, which resulted in the reopening of a former cut above one of Vargas's eyes during the ninth round.
This was one tough fight too many for Francisco Vargas. Fellow Mexican Miguel Berchelt made the most of his first high-profile fight on American television and stopped Vargas in the 11th round Saturday night in Indio, California. Berchelt improved to 31-1, recorded his 28th knockout and won the WBC world super featherweight title from the previously unbeaten Vargas (23-1-2, 17 KOs). A younger, stronger Berchelt battered Vargas for much of a mostly one-sided fight and made a bloody mess of the ever-valiant Vargas’ face. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. finally stopped Berchelt’s vicious assault at 2:19 of the 11th round, with Vargas taking an unnecessary amount of punishment. HBO televised their entertaining title fight from Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.
BOMBS AWAY!!! Francisco Vargas avg'd 88.8 punches thrown/30.5 landed in his last five fights- well above the wgt. class avg. He also landed 39.1% of his power punches and 7.8 jabs per round. Opponents landed 16 power punches per round.
It’s the curse of the remote control. We’re in the mood to laugh, flipping channels, and find Wedding Crashers at one stop of the dial, Dazed and Confused on another. Both are hilarious, classic comedies. One was big time star fare, the other an independent gem.
Eric Gomez figured Miguel Berchelt was the last thing Francisco Vargas needed. Vargas survived back-to-back brutal brawls with Takashi Miura and Orlando Salido in his previous two fights. That’s why Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions’ president and primary matchmaker, suggested Vargas face a lesser opponent in his first fight following his epic slugfest against Salido, which resulted in a majority draw.
Francisco Vargas believes he has taken a long enough layoff to refresh his body and allow his cuts to fully heal. Vargas’ last fight, a majority draw with Orlando Salido on June 4 in Carson, California, was unusually brutal. That 12-round slugfest left the WBC world super featherweight champion in serious need of extended rest.
Orlando “Siri” Salido has always given the fans the fights they want and deserve, and his championship fight against Francisco “Bandido” Vargas last June at the Stub Hub Center continues to gather accolades as it was name today the best fight of 2016 by the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA).
It was certainly a week to forget for the staff at Golden Boy Promotions, but one that was already due to end on a high note and now comes with even more reason to smile. The same goes for Francisco Vargas, who for the second straight year served as one half of the top choice for the Boxing Writers Association of America (BWAA) 2016 Fight of the Year, as announced by the organization on Friday afternoon