In somewhat of a crossroads battle, Jessie Vargas (28-2-1, 10 KOs) goes up against Thomas Dulorme (24-3, 16 KOs) on Saturday, October 6, 2018.
Both are veterans of the sport and are looking to get back to becoming a true title contender. In the case of Vargas, he would love to get back to the championship level.
It’s a bit odd to view this bout as a crossroads battle or a must win considering how young they are–28 and 29 respectively. The truth is the loser of this matchup will head to the bottom of the division most likely to never be seen or heard from again. Sure they’ll still get fights, but nothing meaningful for quite some time.
They also won’t be considered a contender for the conceivable future. With champions such as Errol Spence, Terence Crawford and the newly crowned WBC champion Shawn Porter, it would be hard to see the loser of this matchup performing well against any of those guys. Let’s be honest here, even the winner has a slim chance against them as well.
In short, the loser’s career will take a major nose dive, while the winner can place themselves somewhere in the mix in the extremely talented and deep Welterweight division.
For Dulorme, he’s dealt with various promotional issues, which have led to inactivity. This will only be his fifth fight in four years and his first in over 14 months. In his last match he was thoroughly dominated by upcoming contender Yordenis Ugas (19-3, 11 KOs).
This is a fight Dulorme needs. A loss Saturday night would be the first time in his career that he has suffered back-to-back losses. A loss would also be his third in his last five fights. His status as a contender would be a thing of the past.
As for Vargas, he has a lot on the line in this bout. He is a former champion having held a title at both Light Welterweight and Welterweight.
He has however failed in his two biggest fights against future hall of famers, Manny Pacquiao (60-7-2, 39 KOs) and recently retired Tim Bradley (33-2-1, 13 KOs).
There’s no shame losing to these great fighters, but questions are mounting on whether he is still a viable contender. His last bout against Adrien Broner did little to silence his doubters as that match ended in a draw. A win against Dulorme won’t exactly quiet his doubters, although it will at the very least add a credible win to his ledger.
There is so much on the line for both of these men. With contenders such as Danny Garcia, Jamal James and even Amir Khan, it won’t be easy for either Vargas or Dulorme to climb back up the ranks.
Saturday night, one fighter will fall into obscurity and irrelevance, while the other could be on the brink of another title shot.
Comment below to let us know who you think will win Jessie Vargas vs. Thomas Dulorme Saturday night on DAZN.
