Francisco Vargas appeared to be finished. His face was bloody. His right eye was nearly swollen shut thanks to a gash above his eyelid and another two inches below, on his upper cheek. He had taken so many brutal punches in the ring that some were mystified as to why the fight had not been stopped.
Francisco Vargas will put his WBC super featherweight title on the line Saturday in Indio.
So it was perplexing when Vargas emerged from his corner to begin the ninth round, and quickly dropped world champion Takashi Miura, bringing the crowd at Las Vegas’ Mandalay Bay Events Center to its feet.
Both fighters hit the canvas that night, in a brutal, oscillating affair that stole the show from the main event featuring Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Miguel Cotto. The main event sold the pay-per-view fight card; the Vargas-Miura brawl, widely heralded as the 2015 Fight of the Year, validated it.
Mexico City’s Vargas will defend his World Boxing Council super featherweight title Saturday in Indio during the main event at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino presented by Golden Boy Promotions. Making the card more appealing Miura will fight in the co-main event.
Vargas (23-0-2, 17 knockouts) will defend his title against fellow Mexican brawler and WBO interim super featherweight champion Miguel Berchelt (30-1, 27 KOs) in a 12-round bout that will be televised live on the season premiere of HBO Boxing After Dark beginning at 7 p.m.
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Miura (30-3-2, 23 KOs) of Akita, Japan, will go head-to-head with former featherweight and lightweight contender Miguel Roman (56-11, 43 KOs) of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico.
“Boxing fans know what to expect every time I step in to the ring – and that is a war,” Vargas said. “I am aware of my opponent’s knockout power, but he’s never faced a true world champion, and I am confident I will come out on top.”
Vargas is coming off a majority draw with Orlando Salido in a 2016 non-stop action fight that cemented Vargas’ reputation as one of the toughest boxers in the sport. He now faces Berchelt, who has knocked out 27 opponents in his 30 victories.
“I’m going to shock the boxing world on January 28,” Berchelt said. “This is the opportunity I have been looking forward to.”
Miura – who was scheduled to take on Salido before he withdrew with an injury – has an opportunity to get his name back into title contention with a fight against a puncher that could again provide one of the more lively fights of the year.
It’ll be just his second fight in the United States.
“I was very disappointed when I lost to Vargas,” Miura said, “but I have rededicated myself and am excited to begin my journey towards winning back my title.”
In other boxing news, across the country, Coachella boxer Brandun Lee, a 17-year-old senior at La Quinta High School, will also make his long-awaited professional debut on Saturday in Philadelphia.
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It is undetermined if Golden Boy chairman Oscar De La Hoya will be on hand for the fight in Indio after he was arrested Wednesday in Pasadena by the California Highway Patrol and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol content of .08 percent or greater.
De La Hoya was scheduled to be at Fantasy Springs on Wednesday for a news conference relating to Saturday’s fight, but he did not appear. A spokesperson would not confirm whether De La Hoya plans to attend the fight.
Golden Boy chairman Oscar De La Hoya may or may not be in attendance Saturday after his DUI arrest this week.
De La Hoya had previously released a statement regarding the two main events:
“Fans love knockouts, and these four guys have 110 KOs among the four of them,” noted Oscar De La Hoya, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “We are excited to open our 2017 HBO year showcasing the kind of action-packed fights that will get people up and out of their seats from start to finish.”
Tickets are priced at $35, $45, $55, $75 and $105 and will be available for purchase at the Fantasy Springs Box Office, by calling (800) 827-2946 or online at http://www.fantasyspringsresort.com.
Francisco Vargas vs. Miguel Berchelt
Where: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, Indio
When: Saturday, Jan. 28
Time: 7 p.m. PST
TV: HBO