Miguel Berchelt Embraces Mandatory War With Takashi Miura

By Miguel Rivera

This past Saturday night, the stage was set for another potential Fight of The Year battle.

In the main event of an HBO televised doubleheader from the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California, once-beaten Miguel Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) captured the WBC super featherweight title by stopping previously undefeated Francisco Vargas in eleven rounds.

Berchelt pounds on Vargas with hard punches throughout the contest. He inflicted severe cuts around Vargas' eyes and continued to land big punches until the referee finally stepped in to wave off the contest.

In the HBO televised co-feature, Japan's Takashi Miura (30-3-2, 24 KOs) had a very physical fight of his own by dropping Miguel Roman three times on route to a knockout win in twelfth round of their WBC final super featherweight title eliminator.

The World Boxing Council has now ordered Berchelt to make a mandatory defense against Miura - and both fighters are ready, willing and able to get in the ring with each other.

"Vargas is great champion. The more injured he is, the more he throws punches. He's a man with a lot of heart, he never stops, he's had two fights of the year, but I did what it takes to win and that punch that was given to me by God pulled me through," Berchelt said.

"In that fight, I gave my soul, my life and heart, because I think that's how the titles are won. I think we hurt him a lot from the sixth round on and when we saw the first wound, we jumped on him like a lion on the prey. I knew that my future depended on this, and now I have that championship around on my waist."

"I hope to face Miura and make a great fight with him as well. He was already a world champion and I believe that would be a great fight."