KHAN vs VARGAS
Khan defeats Vargas, but his moments of crisis do not bode well for future ghts with Pacquiao and Brook
All the action from yet another dramatic night for the British star
Amarch towards a winter superfight gathered pace at the Arena Birmingham, but his performance against 12/1 shot Samuel Vargas suggested he may start as a betting underdog himself in potential contests against either Kell Brook or Manny Pacquiao.
Although judges Steve Gray (119-109), John Latham (118-110) and Marcus Mcdonnell (119-108) had him a clear winner, those totals did not tell the story of an absorbing fight in which he was floored and wobbled at various points. In many ways, you could argue that the performance was archetypal Khan, a microcosm of a career which has lurched from high to low, that blends almost impossible speed with an insistence on operating upon the brink of peril.
In an ideal world, Vargas was not supposed to deliver this sort of test. He had been brought in to last longer than Phil Lo Greco, vanquished in 39 seconds by Khan back in April, but still to provide the Bolton man with a confidence-boosting showcase. It started as such, with Khan totally bewildering the Toronto-based Colombian with quicksilver combinations, dropping him in the second. But, moments before the end of the round, Khan too was on his backside.
The right hand was a near carbon copy of the shot with which Canelo Alvarez brutally knocked Khan out in 2016, but his ability to bounce back to his feet was evidence of the difference between fighting a welterweight and a middleweight. It was promising to see Khan recover quickly from a knockdown, as he did against Julio Diaz in 2013 in what was his first fight above 140lbs, but it was not the only time Vargas seemed to hurt the former IBF
and WBA super-lightweight champion.
The third knockdown of the fight came from a Khan right hand that put Vargas over in round three. The punch appeared to land on the back of the head, but referee Terry O’connor did not agree. In the end, however, it mattered little, with the scorecards very wide anyway.
“He came to win today,” Khan said of Vargas. “He put me down with a shot that I just didn’t see and I got straight up. I wasn’t buzzed and I dusted myself down. We got everything we needed from the fight; 12 rounds and just that feeling of being in the ring again. I’m happy with the performance.”
Before stepping between the ropes on this night, Khan had spent a total of just over 18 minutes in the professional prize ring since May 2015. Without question, banking 12 rounds will have done some good, with a huge fight now looming large.
Khan insists he wants Pacquiao because he feels it does more for his legacy, but the long-awaited grudge match with Brook may earn him more money. Now it is down to the 31-yearold to meet with promoter Eddie Hearn to work out the financial details.
Khan said: “Obviously as a fighter, I’m a businessman too, so I will go with whatever is the best fight financially. Both fights are tough, both fights are the same and they are not going to be easy. But Manny needs to know that I have got other options. I have Kell Brook there as well. Manny can’t price himself out; he is not going to make the same kind of money fighting anyone else.”
Hearn, as it happens, has both December 1 and December 8 “pencilled in” at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, and wants to get moving on finalising Khan’s next move. December 15 and 22 are also in the running.
Hearn said: “We want it done by the end of the month. Amir and his team are going to come to speak to us in the office this week. Brook wants a superfight in December. If Khan fights Pacquiao, I would like to be in a position that Kell Brook is guaranteed the winner. My job is to deliver for Kell Brook, for Khan and maybe to deliver for Manny Pacquiao. There is a great triangle there. Everyone is at a stage where one defeat and their career is over.”
Earlier, ex-british, Commonwealth and European welterweight titlist Sam
Eggington was stunned by unheralded Tanzanian Hassan Mwakinyo, who forced referee Kevin Parker to wave their 10-rounder off after just 1-02 of the second.
Hearn had been planning to match Stourbridge’s “Savage” with Brandon Rios on the Anthony Joshua-alexander Povetkin undercard at Wembley Stadium on September 22, but that idea was hurled out of the window by the visitor.
Eggington had looked reasonably comfortable in the opening round, before he was wobbled right before the bell while pinned in his opponent’s corner. It was the prelude for the stunning secondround finish from Mwakinyo, as he totally overwhelmed the local favourite. In the end, Mr Parker had no choice but to step in and save the still-upright Eggington from a fierce double-handed attack.
An early stoppage also seemed to be on the cards in the British middleweight title rematch between Tividale’s Jason Welborn and his West Midlands rival
Tommy Langford. Welborn had snatched the Lonsdale Belt with a split decision win over Langford back in ³