Samuel Vargas has vowed to make the gulf in experience count when he takes on rising star Conor Benn at the Copper Box Arena, London, on Saturday.
The battle-tested Vargas (31-6-2, 14 KOs) has mixed it with some of the best 147-pounders of recent times including Errol Spence, Danny Garcia and Amir Khan, and says Ilford puncher Benn (17-0, 11 KOs) holds few fears.
The Canadian-Colombian feels he can exploit Benn’s “wild” attacks and make him pay for his mistakes when they clash on Saturday. Benn stepped up in class last time out to widely outpoint former IBO champion Sebastian Formella and is unrecognisable from his early days as a raw and rough-around-the-edges pro. Vargas is ready to test that progress.
“I have taken this fight very seriously,” said Vargas. “I had a great training camp and I worked my ass off. I’m really focused, and I can’t wait to get in there. This is professional boxing. Everyone is a threat. Everyone. Especially at this level.
“He is a strong young fighter. He’s going to come on strong. He looks physically fit all of the time. He seems very wild and makes mistakes that he has to pay for. We’ll meet in the centre of the ring and we’ll find out what he’s about. I’m expecting him to come to war and that’s what I’m prepared for.
“I don’t care what he thinks. They have hopes for him over here, I guess. I don’t see it personally. If he’s underestimating me, then the better it is for me. I expect a lot of fans to tune in and watch the fight. It’s going to be a hell of a show. I’m going to bring the heat. He’s going to do whatever he’s able to do.
“Last time I was here in the UK I came close to closing the show but then I didn’t have enough time left in the round [in a points loss to the aforementioned Khan in September 2018]. This time I’m going to bring the same energy and finish the job. I’m going to give Conor a right hand from hell. It would mean a lot to me to win this.
“That’s part of the plan, taking him into the trenches. We’ve got to break him down and take his soul. We’re going to break him down little by little. He doesn’t have the experience to handle that. He’s got to have the same energy that he has in the first round in the ninth and tenth. We’ll see about that.”
Main image: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing.