Berchelt batters Vargas to win WBC 130lb title
Miguel Berchelt (31-1, 28 KOs) stopped previously undefeated Francisco Vargas (23-1-2, 17 KOs) by a 11th round TKO to win the WBC super featherweight title on Saturday night at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California.
Berchelt battered fellow Mexican Vargas throughout the fight and the referee had seen enough in the 11th.
The challenger was always the busier and although Vargas gamely fired back, Berchelt landed the heavier blows round after round and by the sixth, the defending champion was bleeding on both sides of his face.
On several occasions referee Raul Caiz Jr asked the ring doctor to examine Vargas’ cuts, however each time they allowed the fighter to continue.
Vargas tried to rally, but he was getting outgunned and by the 11th, he was taking too much punishment and Caiz Jr finally stepped in at 2:19 of the round.
Also on the card, former titleholder Takashi Miura (31-3-2, 24 KOs) scored a 12th round KO over Mexico's Miguel Roman (56-12, 43 KOs) in a WBC super featherweight eliminator.
In a action-packed fight, Roman had his moments, and busted up Miura's face but in the later rounds the Japanese fighter took over and dropped Roman with a left hook to the body at the end of the 10th.
Miura continued his assaults and floored Roman again with a flurry of punches in the 11th.
Roman bravely got up for the second time but Miura followed up with more hard shots in the 12th and sent Roman down for the 10 count at 0:53 of the round.
Miura is now set to challenge for the WBC belt which he previously held. Vargas dethroned Miura by a 9th-round TKO in a thrilling contest in November 2015.