Photo by Miguel Berchelt/Hogan Photos
On Saturday, January 28, 2017, Miguel Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) scored an upset TKO victory against Francisco Vargas (23-1-2, 17 KOs) to capture the WBC Super Featherweight title in front of a sold-out crowd at the Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, California.
The fight headlined two-fight telecast that was presented by HBO Boxing in the U.S.
Going into the fight, Berchelt, a native of Yucatán, Mexico, was a clear underdog, for he spent most of his career fighting in Mexico and had already suffered a knockout loss in 2014. Berchelt, who is only 25 years old, had never fought at this high of a level before, but it only took one opportunity to demonstrate he was ready.
Indeed, as the rounds began, it was clear that Berchelt would pose trouble for Vargas as he backed the former champion up with straight right hands. Vargas, a 32-year-old native of Distrito Federal, Mexico, held his own in the exchanges, but it appears that too many wars had finally begun to wear him down.
Indeed, the winner of the 2015 and 2016 Fights of the Year was an easy target for Berchelt’s offense, which caused two cuts–one on Vargas’s nose and another above his right eye.
Another cut above his left eye was caused by a headbutt in Round 4.
Berchelt was too much for Vargas, but it appears that Vargas’ habit of getting into wars for each fight may have finally caught up to him. Nevertheless, Berchelt delivered a dominant performance.
In Round 12, Vargas had been stunned several times and was a bloody mess as Berchelt began landing unmercifully and at will. Vargas’s legs were gone by the final minutes of the fight and he was trying to hold on, but he was too badly hurt, forcing Referee Raul Caiz Jr. to stop the fight.
“I wanted to fight the best of the best, and this fight happened because of that,” said Berchelt.
“I knew what I was getting into; he has great heart. I left my heart and soul on the mat. I am young and hungry, and I want to fight the best because that is how champions are made,” said Berchelt, who now joins a stacked 130-pound division that includes Vasyl Lomachenko and Gervonta Davis.
Vargas, though accepting his defeat, noted that at no point during the fight he wanted to stop.
“It was a tough fight, and he’s young with a lot of heart and passion and hunger. He cut me, and I just wasn’t able to see because the blood kept coming into my eyes,” said Vargas.
“I am not the type of fighter to give in, and I will always be fighting. I am a warrior, and I will be that to the very end. I probably would have kept going if they wouldn’t have stopped the fight. I want a rematch,” said Vargas.
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