By Allan Fox: Undefeated light welterweight contender Jessie Vargas (18-0, 9 KO’s) will be fighting former IBF super featherweight champion Steve Forbes (35-10, 11 KO’s) in a scheduled 10 round bout on May 5th on the undercard of the Miguel Cotto vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Forbes, 35, is a replacement opponent for Alfonso Gomez, who had to pull out of the fight due to back spasms. Forbes, now a journeyman and recent sparring partner for WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez in prepping him for his bout against 40-year-old Shane Mosley on the same card, has lost seven out of his last ten fights since February 2006. Something has gone wrong with Forbes’ once promising career, and now he’s pretty much losing almost every time out. He’s been beaten in his last two fights against Karim Mayfield and Ionut Dan Ion. You have to figure he’ll lose against the 22-year-old Vargas, although I’m giving him a decent chance of pulling off an upset.
Vargas, #9 WBA, #13 IBF, is on the card because he fights for Mayweather Promotions and Floyd wanted him to be on the undercard. However, Vargas hasn’t looked all that special in recent fights and it’s difficult to imagine him winning a world title unless the division becomes even more watered down than it is now with multiple tiles spread around the four alphabet groups.
Vargas looked terrible against Joseito Lopez last year on the undercard of Mayweather vs. Victor Ortiz. Vargas won the fight by a 10 round split decision, but looked like he was fading badly in the second half of the fight. Luckily for him, it was only a 10 rounder rather than a 12 round bout otherwise he likely would have lost.
Vargas has beaten the following fighters in his last four fights: Vivian Harris, Walter Estrada, Lopez and Lanardo Tyner.
The Mayweather-Cotto undercard is lacking in a big way once you get past the Saul Alvarez vs. Shane Mosley fight. There’s not much there to be seen unless your a huge follower of Deandre Latimore, Carlos Quintana, Vargas or Forbes. If you compare this fight undercard with the Manny Pacquiao vs. Tim Bradley undercard, it pales in comparison. On the Pacquiao-Bradley undercard, you get Guillermo Rigondeaux vs. Teon Kennedy, Jorge Arce vs. Jesus Rojas, Mike Jones vs. Randall Bailey. Those are simply much better fights than what the Cotto vs. Mayweather undercard has to offer.
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