Rey Vargas Survives a Scare to Win Mark Magsayo’s Featherweight Title

SHOWTIME was at the Alamodome in San Antonio tonight with a card headlined by Mark Magsayo’s first defense of the WBC world featherweight title he won with an upset of Gary Russell Jr. In the opposite corner was fellow unbeaten Rey Vargas who was aiming to become a world title-holder in a second weight class after previously owning the WBC 122-pound strap.

The lanky Vargas accomplished the task, using his superior length to advantage in the middle rounds and then staving off a rally from Magsayo who came on big in rounds nine and ten, scoring the bout’s lone knockdown in round nine, catching Vargas coming in with a straight right hand. When the smoke cleared, two had it 115-112 for Mexico’s Vargas with the dissenter favoring the Filipino 114-113.

Vargas, a protégé of legendary trainer Nacho Beristain, improved to 36-0 while going the 12-round distance for the eighth straight time. Magsayo, who had Freddie Roach in his corner, slipped to 24-1.

Co-Feature

In a battle between featherweights seeking to rebound from their first professional loss, Brandon Figueroa (23-1-1, 18 KOs) scored a sixth-round stoppage of Carlos Castro (29-2). After a slow start, Figueroa cranked up the intensity in round three, pinning Castro against the ropes and knocking him to the canvas with a flurry of punches climaxed by a left hook.

Castro recuperated well and was likely ahead on the cards after five frames. But in round six, Figueroa pinned him against the ropes again and let his hands go. With nothing coming back at him, referee Mark Nelson waived it off, perhaps a tad prematurely.

Hailing from the Tex/Mex border town of Weslaco, Texas, and the younger brother of former world lightweight title-holder Omar Figueroa, Brandon was moving up in weight after losing a split decision to defending 122-pound world title-holder Stephen Fulton in a bout that many thought Figueroa won. Castro, from Phoenix, was likewise moving up in weight after losing a split decision to Luis Nery.

Figueroa vs. Castro was packaged as a WBC eliminator with the victor going on to face the Magsayo/Vargas winner.

In a junior welterweight contest, Frank Martin (16-0, 13 KOs) scored a 10^th-round stoppage over Jackson Marinez (19-3). The fight was up for grabs after seven rounds, but then Martin kicked it up a notch. In the ninth, he knocked Marinez down with a left-right combination and then put him down again early in the tenth and final round. The fight was waived off at the 0:30 mark.

A former three-time National Golden Gloves finalist and 2016 NGG champion, Martin, 27, is promoted by Errol Spence and trained by Derrick James. It was the third straight loss for Marinez of the Dominican Republic who took the fight on a week’s notice as a replacement for Panama’s Ricardo Nunez who reportedly had visa problems.

In a bantamweight match between two fighters with identical 20-1 records, local fan favorite Ramon Cardenas won a unanimous decision over Michel Banquez. The judges had it 96-94 and 97-93 twice. Banquez’s previous loss came in an 11-round (yes, “11”) fight with Chile’s future world title challenger Miguel Gonzalez. It was the ninth straight win for Cardenas whose career was twice stalled when he tested positive for COVID.

Lynn, Massachusetts welterweight Rashidi “Speedy” Ellis, carrying a career-high 153 ½ pounds, made short work of late sub Jose Marrufo, bombing him out in the opening round. Marrufo was on the deck twice before the bout was halted at the 2:18 mark.

From a prominent New England boxing family (brother Ronald and sister Rashida are also professional boxers), Ellis improved to 24-0 (15). Marrufo, who has scored only one knockout in his 26-bout pro career, had no business in the same ring with Ellis.

Photo credit: Ryan Hafey / Premier Boxing Champions

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