Rey Vargas has flaws that Mark Magsayo can exploit, says analyst

Veteran boxing analyst Atty. Ed Tolentino is convinced that while former super bantamweight champion Rey Vargas is without a doubt a good fighter, he is not perfect and has chinks in his armor that Filipino boxer Mark Magsayo can exploit.

The 27-year-old Magsayo (24-0, 16KOs) is scheduled to defend his WBC world featherweight title for the first time against the gritty Mexican next Sunday, July 10 (Manila time) at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

“Vargas throws a lot of punches. Since he has the height he likes to throw straight shots so it is hard to close the distance on him. He has good combinations, a good uppercut, and a good body attack,” Tolentino told Sparring Sessions LIVE.

“We know that there is a question mark on Magsayo's conditioning and body so (body punching) could be an issue,” he added.

Just like Magsayo, Vargas is also yet to taste defeat in his professional career and holds an impressive record of 35-0 with 22 knockouts.

But the Mexican challenger, despite his record, has shown a few weaknesses as well, including an inability to score a knockout in the last few years.

“Number one, he lacks head movement. He is slow to put his hands back on defense and he has this tendency to leave himself open when throwing an uppercut which makes him vulnerable to hooks of Magsayo,” Tolentino said.

“Though he throws a lot, there are issues regarding his punching power. He has not scored a knockout since 2016.”

"There are cracks in Vargas, cracks that Magsayo can exploit.”

—JMB, GMA News