Will Jesse Vargas be able to keep his perfect record or will Timothy Bradley, Jr. hand him his first boxing loss after 26 fights?
Bradley is the odds on favorite to come out victorious this coming Sunday when the two fighters meet in the ring at the StubHub Center in Carson, California.
Vargas’ super lightweight title will not be on the line but his unblemished record is. At stake is the WBO interim welterweight title where Bradley is a heavy favorite to win over the 26-year-old American boxer.
Bradley will be returning to the ring after a controversial fight against Diego Chaves last December which ended in a draw. Prior to that bout, Bradley suffered his first defeat at the hands of Filipino boxing icon Manny Pacquiao (April 2014) so the 31-year-old American boxer is expected to come out hungry for a long overdue win.
“I’m excited to be back in the ring with an undefeated champion,” said Bradley at a recent press conference. “I look forward to the challenge and to take his 0 away from him on June 27th.”
Vargas on the other hand is jumping into the ring on the momentum of two back-to-back victories over Antonio DeMarco and Anton Novikov. Despite being an underdog against the more seasoned Bradley, he is someone that cannot be taken lightly.
“I will be facing a very talented fighter and when you have two great talents with a lot of heart it always makes for a great fight. I always elevate my game against better competition. I am ready to show and prove that I am one of the best fighters out there. There is not one doubt in my mind that everyone will enjoy this fight. I look forward to giving the fans the best of Jessie Vargas on June 27” he said in the same press conference.
Bradley is looking to come up with an impressive showing and will be looking to knockout Vargas. However there are some who believe that this fight will go the distance meaning it will also test the endurance of Bradley for the match.
Online sportsbooks show Bradley being the solid favorite:
- bet365: Timothy Bradley -400 Jessie Vargas +300
- Sportingbet: Timothy Bradley -350 Jessie Vargas +250
- Bet Victor: Timothy Bradley -500 Jessie Vargas +350
- Sky Bet: Timothy Bradley -500 Jessie Vargas +333
Despite the billing, Mexican boxer Erik Morales is confident that Vargas can pull up some strings to snag a victory over the favored Bradley.
“I’ve trained many fighters in Mexico,” Erik Morales said at a recent gym workout. “But Jessie is the best fighter I will be working with and this is the biggest fight, against Bradley,” said Morales. “We will win this fight. Jessie will put on pressure with intelligence and mix it up, using counter-punching. Bradley likes to go into his comfort zone in the ring. We will attack there too.”
Experience seems to be the basis for Bradley being the favorite to come out of this one. However, the age disparity and momentum cannot be discounted as well which could favor Vargas.
On which of the two will prevail will be known this Sunday when Bradley and Vargas slug it out for the WBO Interim Welterweight title.
Broadcast for the show starts at 9:45 p.m. ET / 6:45 PT via HBO Championship boxing.
Alternatively, Box Nation will air the fight in the U.K. Sunday at 2:00 a.m. via Sky43/HD490, Virgin 546 and TalkTalk 525.