HARDLY has Mark Magsayo warmed his throne as the WBC featherweight king and a mandatory title defense already looms on the horizon.
The Mexico-based boxing body named former junior featherweight champion Rey Vargas as Magsayo’s opponent for his first defense of the 126-pound crown he just won Sunday by dethroning American Gary Russell Jr. via majority decision.
WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman made the announcement through the boxing body’s mediator Victor Silva during the weekly online meeting ‘Coffee Tuesdays.’
Vargas, who remains unbeaten just like Magsayo, welcomed the opportunity to fight for a world title right away in just his second fight at featherweight after more than a two-year reign as WBC junior featherweight king.
“I can’t ask for anything more. Going straight for the title (against Magsayo) makes me feel, very, very happy,” said the Mexican (35-0, 22 KOs), who was present during the meeting along with Hall of Fame trainer Nacho Beristain, and Magsayo himself.
Mandatory challenger
“We are the mandatory challenger, Mr. Sulaiman just confirmed it,” the 31-year-old Vargas told Mexico-based newspaper ESTO. “We knew we were going straight to the title. We just waited to find out who would win the fight between Russell and Magsayo, and since Magsayo is the new champion, then we are going against him.”
No date and place have been mentioned though, on the title fight.
Vargas was originally set to face Russell last year, but instead chose to accept another warm-up fight after being stagnant for more than two years due to the pandemic and a broken leg injury.
He finally climbed the ring against compatriot Leonardo Baez in the undercard of the Canelo Alvarez-Caleb Plant undisputed super-middleweight championship fight, scoring a 10-round unanimous decision.
The decision of Vargas to step aside against Russell, paved the way for Magsayo (24-0, 16 KOs) to come in as the mandatory challenger following his 10th-round stoppage against another Mexican in Julio Ceja August of last year.
Vargas sees Magsayo as a fighter who doesn’t only rely on his power.
“Mark Magsayo is a bigger fighter (than Russell), but he’s smarter more so than just (relying on) power. Magsayo is very smart in the ring,” said the Mexican challenger.
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