Teddy Atlas gives Callum Walsh the edge against Fernando Vargas Jr. in their 10-round junior middleweight co-feature fight on the undercard of Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford this Saturday night, September 13th.
Unproven Talents in the Spotlight
Atlas likes the speed and amateur pedigree that Walsh (14-0, 11 KOs) has going for him in this fight with Vargas Jr. (17-0, 15 KOs). However, he notes that neither one of these fighters has “been in deep waters” against tough opposition. They’re prospects and part of Turki Alalshikh’s idea of loading the undercard with “hungry’ fighters that are receiving a chance to be seen.
Fans have overlooked the Walsh-Vargas Jr. fight and focused on the one semi-gem on the undercard between super middleweight contenders Christian Mbilli and Lester Martinez.
“Neither one of these guys have been in deep waters. They’re both undefeated, and they’re both being built up carefully,” said Teddy Atlas on his YouTube channel, talking about the Callum Walsh vs. Fernando Vargas Jr. fight this Saturday night in Las Vegas. “They haven’t been any dangerous places yet, and it is important that when you get to that place, you have the memory that you’ve been in this area before.”
Atlas raises a good point about Walsh and Vargas Jr. not having been tested against quality opposition before. They’ve been “carefully” matched, as he points out, as they haven’t shown the type of ability that indicates that they’re capable of being thrown in with top-grade 154-pounders like Sebastian Fundora, Jaron Ennis, or Vergil Ortiz Jr. Whether that matters is the important question.
A Stepping Stone to Stardom
Walsh appears to be fighting at a sub-world level, and doesn’t look ready to fight any of the top 15 fighters in the 154-lb division. He’s still being given the co-feature gig for this card, but he’s done nothing to deserve that place on Saturday’s event. He’ll be seen by a lot of hardcore and casual boxing fans. The idea is for Walsh to look like 24k gold against Vargas Jr. to hook fans into turning him into a star in the Zuffa Boxing league play.
“They’re both still incomplete. Vargas didn’t have a big amateur background like his father did. Walsh has a better amateur background, and that’s important. Walsh has better hand speed than Vargas. Neither one of them are punchers that their records suggest because they’ve been put in there with carefully selected opponents. It’s one thing knocking out guys from a lower level, but can you do it a higher level?”
Walsh’s record as an amateur in Ireland is 44-9, but he didn’t fight the cutting-edge talents from around the world. He fought mostly in Dublin, Ireland. His opposition as a pro has been lacking. He hasn’t fought notable fighters since turning pro in 2021.
Walsh is young enough to still develop as a pro, but he hasn’t shown the kind of power that suggests that he could compete with top-tier world-level opposition. Given that Walsh is expected to be part of Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing league, he may not need to worry about fighting the sharks at 154.
Callum Walsh’s Recent Opponents
- Elias Espadas
- Dean Sutherland
- Przemyslaw Runowski
- Carlos Ortiz Cervantes
- Dauren Yeleussinov
Interestingly, Vargas Jr. is seen as a step up for Walsh, which shows how carefully he’s been matched. Vargas Jr. is not a world-ranked fighter and is viewed by many fans as merely the son of former world champion Fernando Vargas.
The one receiving the most buzz from fans is Emiliano Vargas. Neither one of the sons has been matched against high-level opposition. Vargas Jr. is the perfect opponent for Walsh to gain popularity with casual boxing fans for Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing. Without Walsh fighting the best at 154, his chances of becoming a big name are limited.
“I give a slight edge to Walsh because of his speed. There are still flaws in both of their games because they’re still works in progress,” said Atlas.
Vargas Jr. will turn 29 on November 8, and he’s up there in age to be seen as a “prospect”. He’s not ranked in the top 15, and from the way he’s looked against the second-tier opposition he’s faced, it’s unlikely that he’s destined to become a world champion.
Fernando Jr. could take advantage of being the son of the famous retired former two-time junior middleweight world champion Fernando Vargas to make some good money based on that.
Joining up with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing league could work in Vargas Jr’s favor, as he would fight limited competition within the league.
He wouldn’t have to deal with talents at 154, like Bakhram Murtazaliev, Jaron Ennis, Vergil Ortiz Jr., or Abass Baraou. The same goes for Walsh. Whether that league ever takes off like the UFC is highly questionable, as fans would view it similarly to Arena Football in relation to the NFL.
In my view, a boxing league patterned after the UFC model won’t work. Fans could view it as second-rate fighters, the guys not good enough to cut it among the best at the world level. Callum Walsh and Fernando Vargas Jr. are a perfect fit for that league, though.
Last Updated on 09/08/2025
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