Rey Vargas Takes WBC Title From Mark Magsayo and Seeks Unification Next!
On July 9, WBC 126-pound champion Mark “Magnifico” Magsayo (24-1, 16KOs) faced former 122-pound champion Rey Vargas (36-0, 22KOs) in the main event on Showtime. This Filipino versus Mexican battle was tense and action-packed!
After winning the WBC title from previous long-reigning owner Gary Russell Jr. back in January, Magnifico was looking to have a successful first defense of his title. The hard-hitting champion promised beforehand it would be bad for Vargas if he elected to stand and fight.
As for Vargas, this was his second fight in two years due to a fractured left foot and COVID-19, which kept him sidelined. After making a successful debut at featherweight, easily defeating Leonardo Baez last November by unanimous decision, he immediately set his sights on becoming a two-division WBC champion. Sporting a three-inch height advantage, he vowed to bring the belt back to Mexico.
RIGHT-HAND-HAPPY OPENING ROUND FOR BOTH FIGHTERS!
Both fighters started the bout off like they wanted a quick night of work! They were right-hand-happy despite the fact that there were no feel-out moments. Both landed numerous rights in the opening round. Yet it appeared that the right landed by Magsayo at the end of the round was the best landed by either fighter.
After round two, Vargas started to take control of the fight. Things started getting much more difficult for Magnifico after Vargas decided to box instead of bang. Sporting a significant height and reach advantage, Vargas started jabbing and boxing from the outside to great success. That caused Magsayo to be relegated to throwing lunging power shots.
After completely losing the momentum in the middle rounds, Magsayo stole some back after scoring a big, straight right hand that put Vargas down in round nine. The following rounds saw Magsayo finally start to use his jab, which saw him have better success landing the right hand.
After twelve rounds, the fight came down to a split decision. Ultimately, it was Rey Vargas who would be declared the winner, making him a two-time, two-division WBC champion. The scores were 115-112 (x2) for Vargas and 114-113 for Magsayo.
With the win, Vargas now has an opportunity to unify with WBA Super 126-pound champion Leo Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz previously expressed interest in fighting Magsayo. Now, an all Mexican showdown seems very possible as Vargas called for a unification bout with Santa Cruz for later this year.
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By: Jerrell Fletcher
