Jessie Vargas wants Thuman or Spence

By Boxing News - 12/16/2017 - Comments

Image: Jessie Vargas wants Thuman or Spence

By Stanley White: After his win over journeyman Aaron Herrera (33-8-1, 22 KOs) last Friday night, former welterweight champion Jessie Vargas (28-2, 10 KOs) called out IBF 147 lb. champion Errol ‘The Truth’ Spence Jr. and WBA/WBC champion Keith ‘One Time’ Thurman for a fight.

(Photo credit: Peter Young/Premier Boxing Champions)

Vargas says he wants to face and beat either of those guys. Vargas, 28, is also up for fighting Sadam Ali in a rematch. Vargas stopped Ali in the 9th round on March 5, 2016. Vargas says he’d be willing to fight Ali at 147 or 154. Ali recently defeated Miguel Cotto by a 12 round unanimous decision to win the WBO junior middleweight title earlier this month on December 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Last Friday night, Vargas defeated Herrera by a 10 round unanimous decision by the scores 100-89, 100-89 and 100-89. The fight was televised on Premier Boxing Champions on Fox Sports 1. It took place at the Pioneer Event Center, in Lancaster, California. We saw a brief glimpse of Vargas’ power in round 6 with him knocking Herrera to the canvas with a left hook to the head.

“I got the rounds in. That’s exactly what I wanted,” said Vargas to Fighthype in talking about his win over journeyman Aaron Herrera. “I wanted to beat him to the shot. I beat him to the shot every time, and I think that’s what kept him off,” said Vargas.

In fairness to Herrera, he wasn’t throwing any punches in the fight. He didn’t look like his intention was to win the fight. Herrera fought more like a B-side opponent, there to give Vargas rounds rather than o pull off an upset. Herrera wasn’t throwing punches even when Vargas was just standing in front of him, not letting his hands go. This fight wasn’t a good gauge of where Vargas is at as a fighter. It’s going to take a good opponent for the boxing public to see what Vargas has at this point. Herrera wasn’t good enough to give an accurate puncher of what Vargas has.

“Anyone,” said Vargas when asked who he wants to fight next. “I need to speak to Al Haymon to see who he wants me to go up against next. I want to become a world champion again. Whoever has the WBC or IBF title, I want them. Whoever has the IBF title, I want them. Let’s do it,” said Vargas.

You can’t blame Vargas for looking for a money fight against Spence and Thurman. It’s possible Thurman might be interested in using Vargas as his tune-up opponent in early 2018. Thurman is coming off elbow surgery, and he needs to defend his title in early 2018 against a tune-up level fighter. Vargas looks like a good tune-up for Thurman. Vargas is too slow of hand and foot for him to be considered a threat to beating Thurman or Spence. Vargas’s punches lacked speed and power last night against Herrera. Thurman would destroy Vargas with the way he looked. I doubt that Vargas wants any part of fighting Spence. I think he’s more interested in the bigger money fight against Thurman.

You’d have to place Vargas as a huge underdog against Thurman and Spence, as well as against some of the top contenders like Shawn Porter and Danny Garcia. Vargas doesn’t look like he’s in the same league as those guys in the talent department.

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