On a Saturday night, Antonio Vargas, who flew the flag for the US in the 2016 Olympics, is set to lock horns with Jonathan Rodriguez in what promises to be a riveting 12-round scrap for the WBA bantamweight title eliminator, taking place at the swanky Caribe Royale in Orlando, FL.
Vargas, hailing from Kissimmee, FL and sitting pretty as the WBA’s number two, boasts a record of 17 wins, 1 loss, and 9 knockouts. His 2023 was nothing short of brilliant, with a standout moment being when he put Mitchell Banquez to bed in the sixth round and outclassed ex-champ Hernan Marquez over ten rounds.
Rodriguez, born in Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico and now throwing punches out of Bethlehem, PA, mirrors Vargas’ record with an added draw and 7 knockouts. As the WBA’s third seed, he turned heads by laying out ex-champ Kal Yafai with a jaw-dropping knockout in the opening round.
Vargas, buzzing about the fight in Orlando and the spotlight on DAZN, reckons he’s got the perfect strategy to tame Rodriguez’s bullish approach. He’s been itching for a bout like this, and a win on Saturday could see him queuing up for a crack at the world title.
The stakes? The winnergets a shot at the WBA bantamweight crown, squaring off against the winner of the Takuma Inoue vs. Jerwin Ancajas showdown.
Boxlab Promotions, in cahoots with Matchroom, are chuffed to roll out a top-shelf fight card in Central Florida. Amaury Piedra of Boxlab is particularly stoked for Vargas, who gets to strut his stuff in front of his home crowd. He’s banking on Vargas and Rodriguez to deliver a belter that’ll have the fans on their feet.
The bout is part of a stonking line-up on DAZN, kicking off at 8 pm, featuring a welterweight eliminator, Olympic gold medallist Andy Cruz, and a headline act with Edgar Berlanga facing off against Padraig McCrory.
Matchroom Boxing and Boxlab Promotions are behind the event, with tickets up for grabs on Ticketmaster.com. The action starts at 5:30 pm, so best not dawdle.