Via Jack Tiernan: Former WBO middleweight champion Liam ‘Beefy’ Smith (31-3-1, 18 KOs) put in a middleweight performance Saturday night, preventing former two-division world champion Jessie Vargas from inactive (29-4-2, 11 KOs) at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In the 10th round, ‘Beefy’ Smith was powerless with a series of heavy blows to the exhausted and injured Vargas’ head, prompting referee Steve Willis to intervene and halt the contest. Overtime was 0:41 of the tenth inning.
In between the ninth and tenth rounds, Vargas’ coach Nonito Donaire warned him that he would stop the competition if he didn’t show him something. Turns out, Donaire didn’t get a chance to throw the towel because the referee paused the game before he could.
Smith took down 32-year-old Vargas, who hasn’t fought in 26 months since losing to Mikey Garcia in February 2020. Vargas fought well the first few rounds but looked exhausted and carried a rubber weapon from the round. father. above.
Even so, Vargas still fought hard, unleashing many punches, taking advantage of Smith’s uncertain defense. Like in all of Smith’s skirmishes, he applies constant pressure, focusing his mass attack to knock out Vargas.
In the third round, Smith suffered a cut above his right eye from a head collision. The two boxers hit their heads pretty hard and got a lot of elbows. On several occasions, Smith wrapped Vargas in a headlock while he was crouching.
Smith would then walk Vargas around the ring while keeping him in predicament. Surprisingly, the referee didn’t give Smith a stern warning about this dirty tactic, as he choked Vargas during the procedure.
Although Smith took the win, he failed to show the kind of performance that would suggest that he is a threat to 154-lb champions like Jermell Charlo or Brian Castano.
If Smith were to fight either of those guys tonight, he’d probably be chewed up.
Also, some of the contenders at 154, Tim Tszyu and Sebastian ‘Towering Inferno’ Fundora, will be a nightmare for ‘Beefy’ Smith. There’s no doubt Smith could hook up with those men at this stage in his career.
He looks surprisingly good for an inactive boxer like Vargas. This is just his sixth fight in the last six years and he’s only won one in the last five years.
It is shocking that Vargas has been inactive over the years. He’s basically been a part-time boxer for many years, and this is what happens when a boxer isn’t busy. Due to inactivity, it is not surprising that Vargas ran out of gas early in the match.
If Vargas doesn’t become an active fighter, he needs to seriously think about retiring because his career is going nowhere.
If Matchroom Boxing still has Vargas on contract, they need to think about what they can do with this guy since he’s unlikely to win the world championship at 154, especially when he fights. fight every two years. Vargas needed to decide if he wanted to continue fighting. If so, it is necessary to fight two to three times a year.
It’s a bad sign that Vargas has lost to his past little past, Mikey Garcia, in his final battle in 2020. If Vargas has anything left, he should dominate. ruled Mikey 5’5 ″, who wasn’t big enough to fight 147.
Undefeated middleweight prospect Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams (10-0.9 KOs) beat the previously undefeated Chordale Booker (17-1, 7 KOs) by knockout in the first round to claim the WBA belt The American continent is empty.
2020 Olympic gold medalist Galal Yafai (2-0.2 KOs) beat Miguel Cartagena (17-7-1, 8 KOs) by second-round knockout. The match was halted after the second half due to Cartagena’s corner.
