WBC Special Preview: #VargasFoster
WBC STATISTICS
WBC Vacant Super Featherweight World Championship
February 11, 2023 / San Antonio, Texas / Alamodome
TGB PROMOTIONS PRESENTS:
REY VARGAS (Mexico)
WBC Featherweight World Champion
Former WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion / 5 Title Defenses
Age: 32 / Date of birth: November 25, 1990
Residence: Otumba, México, Mexico / Birthplace: Mexico City, Distrito Federal, Mexico
Record: 36-0, 22 KOs / Total rounds: 222 / World championship fights: 7-0, 0 KOs
Height: 5’7” – 170cm / Reach: 70.5” – 179cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Al Haymon / Trainer: Carlos Vargas
O’SHAQUIE “Ice Water” FOSTER (USA)
Ranked WBC No. 1 at Super Featherweight
Age: 29 / Date of birth: September 17, 1993
Residence: Houston, Texas / Birthplace: Orange, Texas
Record: 19-2, 11 KOs / Total rounds: 110 / World championship fights: 0-0
Height: 5’6” – 168cm / Reach: 71.5” – 181 cm / Stance: Right-handed
Manager: Keith Mills / Trainer: Bobby Benton
WBC SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
1. Gabriel Elorde (Phil) 1963 – 1967
2. Yoshiaki Numata (Jap) 1967
3. Hiroshi Kobayashi (Japan) 1967 – 1968
4. Rene Barrientos (Phil) 1969 – 1970
5. Yoshiaki Numata (Japan) * 1970 – 1971
6. Ricardo Arredondo (Mex) 1971 – 1974
7. Kuniaki Shibata (Jap) 1974 – 1975
8. Alfredo Escalera (P. Rico) 1975 – 1978
9. Alexis Arguello (Nic) 1978 – 1980
10. Rafael Limon (Mex) 1980 – 1981
11. Cornelius Boza-Edwards (Uganda) 1981
12. Rolando Navarrete (Phil) 1981 – 1982
13. Rafael Limon (Mex) * 1982
14. Bobby Chacon (US) 1982 – 1983
15. Hector Camacho (P. Rico) 1983
16. Julio Cesar Chavez (Mex) 1984 – 1987
17. Azumah Nelson (Ghana) 1988 – 1994
18. James Leija (US) 1994
19. Gabriel Ruelas (Mex) 1994 – 1995
20. Azumah Nelson (Ghana) * 1995 – 1997
21. Genaro Hernandez (US) 1997 – 1998
22. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (US) 1998 – 2001
23. Sirimongkol Singmanassuk (Thai) 2002 – 2003
24. Jesus Chavez (Mexico) 2003 – 2004
25. Erik Morales (Mexico) 2004
26. Marco Antonio Barrera (Mexico) 2004 – 2007
27. Juan Manuel Marquez (Mexico) 2007 – 2008
28. Manny Pacquiao (Philippines) 2008
29. Humberto Soto (Mexico) 2008 – 2009
30. Humberto Mauro Gutierrez (Mex, Interim) 2009
31. Vitaly Tajbert (Germany) 2009 – 2010
32. Takahiro Aoh (Japan) 2010 – 2012
33. Gamaliel Diaz (Mexico) 2012 – 2013
34. Takashi Miura (Japan) 2013 – 2015
35. Francisco Vargas (Mexico) 2015 – 2017
36. Miguel Berchelt (Mexico) 2017 – 2021
37. Oscar Valdez (Mexico) 2021 – 2022
38. Shakur Stevenson (US) 2022
* Regained
WBC SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT TOP 10 CHAMPIONS
1. Julio Cesar Chavez (Mexico)
2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (US)
3. Alexis Arguello (Nicaragua)
4. Hector Camacho (P. Rico)
5. Azumah Nelson (Ghana)
6. Gabriel Elorde (Phil)
7. Erik Morales (Mexico)
8. Marco Antonio Barrera (Mexico)
9. Ricardo Arredondo (Mexico)
10. James Leija (US)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT DIVISION IN WBC HISTORY
35 world champions have been recognized by the WBC, three of whom regained the title: Yoshiaki Numata (Japan), Rafael Limon (Mexico), Azumah Nelson (Ghana).
140 super featherweight world championship fights have been held in WBC history.
MEMORABLE WBC SUPER FEATHERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS:
Apr. 30, 2022 Shakur Stevenson W12 Oscar Valdez – Las Vegas, Nevada
Sept. 10, 2021 Oscar Valdez W12 Robson Conceicao – Tucson, Arizona
Feb. 20, 2021 Oscar Valdez KO10 Miguel Berchelt – Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov. 2, 2019 Miguel Berchelt KO4 Jason Sosa – Carson, California
Nov. 3, 2018 Miguel Berchelt TKO9 Miguel “Mickey” Roman – El Paso, Texas
Jan. 29, 2017 Miguel Berchelt KO11 Francisco Vargas – Indio, California
June 4, 2016 Francisco Vargas D12 Orlando Salido – Carson, California
Nov. 21, 2015 Francisco Vargas TKO9 Takashi Miura – Las Vegas, Nevada
Mar. 15, 2008 Manny Pacquiao W12 Juan Manuel Marquez – Las Vegas, Nevada
Mar. 17, 2007 Juan Manuel Marquez W12 Marco Antonio Barrera – Las Vegas, Nevada
Nov. 27, 2004 Marcos Antonio Barrera W12 Erik Morales – Las Vegas, Nevada
Oct. 3, 1998 Floyd Mayweather Jr. TKO8 Genaro Hernandez – Las Vegas, Nevada
Mar. 22, 1997 Genaro Hernandez W12 Azumah Nelson – Corpus Christi, Texas
Oct. 13, 1990 Azumah Nelson W12 Juan LaPorte – Sydney, Australia
Sep. 13, 1984 Julio Cesar Chavez TKO8 Mario Martinez – Los Angeles, California
Aug. 7, 1983 Hector Camacho TKO5 Rafael Limon – San Juan, Puerto Rico
May 30, 1981 Cornelius Boza-Edwards TKO13 Bobby Chacon – Las Vegas, Nevada
Jan. 28 1978 Alexis Arguello TKO13 Alfredo Escalera – Bayamon, Puerto Rico
Dec. 14, 1967 Hiroshi Kobayshi KO12 Yoshiaki Numata – Kokugjikan, Japan
Feb. 16, 1963 Flash Elorde W15 Johnny Bizarro – Manila, Philippines
How do you tap ”Ice Water?”
By James Blears
Rey Vargas goes for a World Boxing Council Absolute Title in a third division, taking on O`Shaquie Foster for the vacant WBC super-featherweight Green and Gold Belt at the Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas on February 11th.
Rey (36-0, 22KO`s) with his pristine, crystal clear undefeated record has already reigned as WBC super-bantamweight champion. And in his most recent fight against Mark Magsayo, also in the Alamodome, he got up from a counter right knockdown in the ninth, to win a split decision and with it, the featherweight title.
O´Shaquie “Ice Water” Foster 19-2 (11KO`s) is looking to be the freshet which pours cold water on Rey`s sizzling ambitions. His two losses eight and seven years ago, against Samuel Teah by UD, and then against Rolando Chinea by SD, were both at lightweight. He has never been defeated as a super-featherweight.
He recalls: “I had a couple of setbacks, had to get focused and weed out bad energy in my life. Now, I`m ready. I`ll be the first world titlist to come from my City, so I`ll be making history for Orange, Texas, and raising the bar for the next generation. I`m going to show the world that I belong and that I`m here to stay.”
Rey begs to differ. He states: “I want to make history and do something that I`ll remember for the rest of my career. My power is definitely going to translate to one hundred and thirty pounds. The work I`ve put into my power during my training will definitely work in my favor.”
Hopefully this will bring about a sea change, because Rey´s has won all of his previous eight fights by points. We have to go all the way back to 2016 to when he TK´d Alexander Munoz in the fifth for a stoppage. That`s not to say that Rey can inflict his share of constitutional discomfort. His body punching wears down opponents and his left jab, reinforced by an albatross like reach are useful tools, which he uses well. Many of his opponents would have been rather glad of a barge pole.
Some official records state Rey is five feet seven inches with a reach of seventy one and a half inches, but this is not the case. In person, Rey is appreciably taller than that. He says his height is one meter eighty, which is five feet ten. He remains coy about his reach, but it could extend as far as seventy four inches. While O`Shaquie is stands five feet eight and a half inches tall and his reach is seventy two inches.
Perhaps it`s because Rey is so slim and has towered over opponents in the other divisions that he seems so much taller? He now faces someone who is almost the same size and this will pose a different, hardly ticklish yet very demanding test. The way Rey could solve it, is via his considerable speed, agility and mobility. He can maintain an able high tempo pace of fighting for all twelve rounds. And over the last few years, he`s needed to! Conclusive firepower has been lacking. This is O`Shaquie`s big chance and he`ll do everything in his power to capitalize upon it. He`ll be coming looking for the elusive Rey. He`s a skilled switch hitter.
Rey says that he has a hunch that O`Shaquie is going to be aggressive and try to force the pace. O`Shaquie counters by saying: “I come out with different styles every time I fight.” To which Rey retorts: “It`s impossible for him to have a totally different style in each fight, especially at this level. He knows he`s got to make some changes to have a chance of winning.”
Physically Rey has a very small chin yet Mark Magsayo found it and put him down. Previous to this, Franklin Manzanilla dropped him with a left hook in the second, but Rey got up, fought on and won a UD. He was badly cut over both eyes against Azat Hovhannisyan, but won by a wide UD. Rey is durable and resourceful, when he`s up against it.
Rey defeated Tomoki Kameda by UD on July 13th 2019. After this he broke his left leg in a fall and returned with his debut as a featherweight winning against Leonardo Baez on November 6th 2021, with no visible ring rust. Then he successfully fought Mark Magsayo.
O`Shaquie is a decent punch picker. After eleven months of inactivity, he notably stopped Mickey Roman with a ninth round KO in the second defense of the WBC Silver Title he`d won off previously undefeated Jon Fernandez. He put the all action Mickey down with a straight right in round one. The end came in nine after a pinpoint left hook. To get here he defeated number two ranked Muhammadkhuja Yaqubov by a UD, coming on strong in the final round, knocking down his opponent with an overhand left.
Rey has said that at this heavier weight he`s gained strength and muscle, but observes that the power of opponents is obviously going to be a lot more. O`Shaquie is a natural super featherweight. He hasn`t had to gain weight or muscle.
A win for Rey would place him in the very select ranks of Mexican fighters who have won world titles in three or more weight categories. Those glorious superstars are: Julio Cesar Chavez, Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera, Juan Manuel Marquez, Jorge Arce and Saul Canelo Alvarez.
While probably not adhering to Henry Ford`s dismissive retort of: “All history is bunk,” which it certainly isn`t as the true test of time plus quality, O`Shaquie is absolutely determined to make his opportunity of a lifetime count.
Rey will use speed and range, but at some point in the fight, he`ll encounter O`Shaquie`s counter punching ability. Then and there, that`ll be an interesting test.
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