As the new boxing promotion TKO is being formed, unbeaten junior-middleweight Callum Walsh stands clearly as the lynchpin fighter of the organization directed by UFC CEO Dana White and funded by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh.
Walsh, 24, has landed in the co-main event to the September 13 Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford undisputed super-middleweight championship at the NFL’s Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. In his bout, Ireland’s Walsh 14-0 (11 KOs) meets Fernando Vargas Jnr 17-0 (15 KOs) in a bout that will likely propel the winner within reach of a title shot.
Walsh is currently ranked No. 4 to champion Bakhram Murtazaliev in the IBF and No. 5 to champion Sebastian Fundora in the WBC.
“Definitely, I hope to be [TKO’s] number one guy,” Walsh told BoxingScene Tuesday. “I’ve been headlining shows all over the place [Madison Square Garden, Southern California, Ireland] and putting on good performances. After a win here, I’ll definitely be closer to a title shot.
“To be on there, so high on the card, what an honor. It’s one of the biggest fights in boxing history.”
TKO is currently building its stable, signing talent in advance of its 2026 debut and positioning toward a broadcast deal.
Some fans have chided the September 13 Netflix undercard as lacking in name value. The show includes a twelve-round WBC interim 168lbs title fight between unbeaten boxers Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez and a 154lbs rematch between WBC No. 1 rated Serhii Bohachuk and Brandon Adams.
Walsh doesn’t pay any attention to the outside noise.
“It’s a high-quality matchup,” Walsh said of his next fight. “I’m 14-0, [Vargas is] 17-0, we’re both young. You don’t usually see this kind of matchup in boxing. It’s rare.
“I come from a massive amateur background and have fought tough fights to get here and he’s fighting in his [former world-champion] father’s name. I’m happy to be there.”
Walsh is coming off a shortened technical-decision victory June 25 at Chumash Casino Resort in Santa Ynez, California, when he sustained a cut eyelid.
“The cut is healed, I’ve been sparring the last few weeks and it hasn’t bothered me at all,” he said. “If it opens up again, I’ll keep fighting for as long as I can. I don’t think it will. I gave it time, everything’s good.”
Trained by Hall of Fame cornerman Freddie Roach and promoted by both White and veteran promoter Tom Loeffler, Walsh said he doesn’t expect to be bothered by the gravity of the event.
“I don’t think so. It’ll make me fight better. I always fight my best on the big stage – I’ve done it throughout my amateur career,” Walsh said.
Regarding the main event between a pair of four-division champions and future Hall of Famers, Walsh expects Alvarez to win based on the caliber of his chin and the likelihood that he’ll wear down the lighter man over the course of the bout.
Elsewhere, in his own talented division, Walsh said he was surprised new WBO champion Xander Zayas balked at fighting formidable, unbeaten contender Vergil Ortiz Jnr, the WBC interim champion.
“If I was the champion, I’d go right to the real contender, the most deserving guy, to prove you are the champion,” Walsh said. “I would’ve taken the Ortiz fight. If you win, you’re still champion. If you lose, you’re still young and prove you’re a deserving champion. It’s a big opportunity he missed.”
In the meantime, Walsh will have more exposure than any champion in his division by taking to the Alvarez-Crawford stage.
“I want to show the world all the hard work I’ve put in and all the experience I have,” Walsh said. “I want to show I’m much better than the average fighter in this division – Fernando is average.
“I want to show I have much bigger things to do. I want to prove that.”
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Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.
