By: Sean Crose
The 26-0 two division world champion Rey Vargas fought the 19-2 O’Shaquie Foster for the WBC tremendous featherweight title Saturday evening on the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. The scheduled 12 spherical affair was the principle occasion of a Showtime broadcast card. The evening opened, nonetheless, with the 8-0 Lenier Pero battling 11-0 fellow heavyweight Viktor Faust in a scheduled 10 rounder.
Pero landed nicely to the physique within the first. Faust tossed and landed some heavy leather-based within the second. Pero continued to work the physique within the third, although Faust was the extra energetic of the 2 fighters. A Faust left brought on Pero to stumble within the remaining seconds of the spherical. By the fourth it seemed to be clear that Pero was the extra expert fighter, whereas Faust was the stronger one.
Another exhausting left rocked Pero within the fifth. Pero was in a position to throw and land extra within the sixth. It nonetheless might not have been sufficient, nonetheless, to hold the spherical. It was apparent within the seventh that Pero was merely combating in too inert a mode to finest Faust. The Miami based mostly fighter, by means of Cuba, must change issues up if he wished to win the match.
And change issues up Pero did, socking Faust so exhausting to the physique within the eighth that the Ukrainian went out on his toes, inflicting the referee to cease the combat.
Next up was a scheduled ten spherical welterweight affair between the favored, 26-2, Mario Barrios and the 14-2-1 Joavine Santiago. The first spherical noticed Santiago attempting to get inside on his noticeably greater foe. Barrios, nonetheless, went on to use strain of his personal. The fighters remained moderately affected person within the second, neither showing wanting to throw with regularity.
The third proved to be an attention-grabbing, quick paced affair, with every man having his moments. Things have been blistering within the fourth, although Santiago’s efficient aggression might have edged the chapter in his favor. Santiago continued attempting to get inside within the fifth. Barrios began rocking his man within the sixth. Santiago’s nook threatened to cease the combat in between rounds.
Santiago had guts, however little else within the seventh. A physique shot put the sport Santiago down within the eighth. He beat the rely, however then Santiago’s nook correctly stopped the combat moments later.
It was time for the principle occasion.
Both Vargas and Foster took to flicking off fast jabs within the first. Vargas went down early within the second, nevertheless it was dominated a slip. Foster was in a position to toss off punches shortly all through the spherical. The third noticed Foster merely being too slick for his man. Vargas additionally had a minimize above his left eye. The fourth was nearer than the earlier rounds, however Foster nonetheless appeared to land the higher photographs total.
The fifth spherical was shut, although – once more – the slippery type of Foster might have edged it. The sixth primarily instructed the story of the combat because it was up till that time: Foster may land clear on Vargas, however Foster’s type wouldn’t permit Vargas to land clear on Foster. There wasn’t a lot distinction within the seventh from the earlier six rounds. Vargas merely couldn’t land nicely on his opponent.
Foster had full psychological management of the combat within the eighth. Vargas was clearly on the way in which to struggling his first defeat if he couldn’t make one thing occur. Foster’s enter seemed to be dropping within the ninth. And certainly, Vargas seemed to be doing higher. Was he doing sufficient, although? Foster went on to land the higher photographs within the tenth. The Texas native then relentlessly pursued Vargas within the eleventh, although the spherical was admittedly a forwards and backwards affair.
The twelfth and remaining spherical noticed extra of the identical as Foster labored to claim himself whereas Vargas labored to determine his irritating foil out. Foster even appeared as if he is perhaps attempting to complete Vargas off throughout the distance within the remaining minute of the combat. Vargas definitely didn’t go down, however the evening belonged to Foster, who received the WBC belt by scores of 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109.
