Rey Vargas puts on boxing clinic behind jab to retain WBC junior featherweight title against Tomoki Kameda

Mark Lelinwalla

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Rey Vargas puts on boxing clinic behind jab to retain WBC junior featherweight title against Tomoki Kameda image

Rey Vargas wisely worked behind the jab as the taller fighter with a reach advantage, while Tomoki Kameda made his power shots land with emphasis — especially when they came as counterpunches.

But at the end of the 12-round bout, there was no doubt that Vargas had firm control throughout and was the more active fighter, having thrown and landed more punches, including 443 attempted and 51 connected jabs, respectively. Judges saw it that way, too, each scoring it 117-110 in favor of Vargas, who retained his WBC junior featherweight title at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. and live on DAZN on Saturday night, despite the boos from the crowd, which seemed to appreciate Kameda being the aggressor.

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After the win, Vargas once again made it clear that he might want to move up in weight to face WBA featherweight champion Leo Santa Cruz. Another possibility could be a title-unification fight with IBF and WBA titleholder Daniel Roman, who was in attendance Saturday night and told DAZN that it’s only a matter of time before he and Vargas meet in the ring.

Vargas is interested as well.

Vargas (34-0, 22 KOs) did everything behind the jab Saturday night, showing solid ring generalship to keep an aggressive Kameda at bay. When Kameda did land power shots, they definitely put Vargas on notice, but the challenger’s output was too few and far between and he didn't cash in on the punches that did connect.

Kameda had a point deducted for unsportsmanlike conduct for throwing a late punch in the 12th round and Vargas survived the game challenger’s desperation-mode rally to have his hand raised in the highly efficient win.

Although Kameda did everything to unnerve Vargas during the fight’s promotion, even sticking his tongue out at the champion during Friday's weigh-in, Vargas just had too much savvy and guile with his game plan.

Here’s how the rest of the Vargas-Kameda card went:

Ronny Rios makes Diego De La Hoya quit for sixth-round KO; super bantamweights

Rios unleashed a left hook to the body and an uppercut to drop De La Hoya in the sixth. Still feeling the effects from the body shot, De La Hoya (21-1, 10 KOs) told the referee that he wasn’t going to continue. Rios improved to 31-3.

Rios landed 52 percent of his power punches and overcame early fireworks to really dig into De La Hoya, who’s the cousin of boxing legend and Golden Boy Promotions head Oscar De La Hoya. That made it two big upset losses on the night for two of Golden Boy Promotions' bright, young prospects.

Joet Gonzalez stops Manuel Avila by sixth-round TKO; featherweights

Gonzalez brought the pressure for the entire fight, and it paid off with the stoppage. 

After the victory, the 23-0 Gonzalez called out Shakur Stevenson for a fight. 

Roger Gutierrez shocks Eduardo Hernandez with first-round KO; junior lightweights

Gutierrez caught Hernandez by surprise with a solid right hook that dropped “Rocky” for the first time in his career and knocked out the Mexican fighter for the first loss of his career. Big upset!

Undercard results

Alexis Rocha def. Berlin Abreu by eighth-round TKO; welterweights
Ruslan Madiyev def. Ricky Sismundo via unanimous decision; junior welterweights
Jousce Gonzalez def. Jorge Padron by first-round KO; lightweights
Jonathan Esquivel def. Gregory Clark via first-round KO; super middleweights

Mark Lelinwalla

Mark Lelinwalla Photo

Mark Lelinwalla is a contributing writer and editor for DAZN News. He has written for the likes of the New York Daily News, Men's Health, The Associated Press, Sports Illustrated, Complex, XXL and Vibe Magazine.