{"id":126964,"date":"2025-09-10T06:27:12","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T06:27:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/126964\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T06:27:12","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T06:27:12","slug":"freddie-roach-predicts-breakout-performance-from-callum-walsh-vs-fernando-vargas-jr","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/126964\/","title":{"rendered":"Freddie Roach Predicts ‘Breakout Performance’ From Callum Walsh Vs. Fernando Vargas Jr."},"content":{"rendered":"

LAS VEGAS \u2013 Freddie Roach recognizes that not everyone is as convinced Callum Walsh<\/a> will become a junior middleweight world champion as the Hall-of-Fame trainer.<\/p>\n

After what Roach witnessed during Walsh\u2019s latest training camp, however, he senses that the strong Irish southpaw is prepared to convert doubters into supporters Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium. <\/p>\n

Walsh will face Fernando Vargas Jr.<\/a> in Netflix\u2019s 10-round co-feature before undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez<\/a> defends his titles against fellow four-division belt-holder Terence Crawford<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Vargas (17-0, 15 KOs) is just the second undefeated opponent of Walsh\u2019s career and his first since he knocked out Luis Garcia (then 3-0) in the first round of his third professional fight.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a great test for Callum,\u201d Roach told The Ring<\/a>. \u201cVargas is in his prime and undefeated, so it is definitely a step up for Callum. Callum has faced solid competition. That experience will be to Callum\u2019s advantage for this fight. \u2026 Callum\u2019s star is rising and if he fights the way we think he will, then this will be a breakout performance for him.\u201d<\/p>\n

Las Vegas\u2019 Vargas, the 28-year-old son of the former junior middleweight champ who trains him, is equally eager to prove himself against the best opponent of his four-year pro career.<\/p>\n

\u201cVargas is a real fighter with a very good jab,\u201d Roach said. \u201cWe have studied his fight tapes, and I think we have a solid game plan for him.\u201d <\/p>\n

Roach wants Walsh (14-0, 11 KOs) to demonstrate versus Vargas that at 24 he has developed into a more multifaceted fighter than he has shown.<\/p>\n

\u201cCallum has relied on the power of his right hand in past fights,\u201d Roach said. \u201cIn this training camp, we have really focused on a two-fisted attack. Callum has become more comfortable and confident in using his left not just to set up his right, but as an additional weapon. He\u2019s been devastating in sparring, and I can\u2019t think of a better place to show this off than on the Canelo-Crawford card.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Netflix will stream the Walsh-Vargas bout immediately before Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) faces Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) for his Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 168-pound crowns. The four-fight Netflix portion of the card is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. PT (9 p.m. ET; 2 a.m. BST).<\/p>\n

Roach appreciates the expansive platform on which Walsh will perform, thanks in large part to his relationship with Dana White. The UFC president and CEO is the front man for TKO Boxing, the promoter of record of the Alvarez-Crawford card, and he has consistently shown Walsh\u2019s fights on UFC Fight Pass.<\/p>\n

\u201cAn impressive performance on this huge platform,\u201d Roach said, \u201cwill propel Callum into the mainstream for fans and media around the world. It\u2019s a great opportunity.\u201d <\/p>\n

Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"LAS VEGAS \u2013 Freddie Roach recognizes that not everyone is as convinced Callum Walsh will become a junior…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":126965,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[2560,6842,6836,6841,6840,6834,6102,6837,6838,6839,6835,6588,6847,6846,6830,6828,6829,6844,6831,6827,6848,6843,101,6845,6826,6833,56,54,55,6832],"class_list":["post-126964","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-boxing","tag-boxing","tag-boxing-community","tag-boxing-fights","tag-boxing-history","tag-boxing-interviews","tag-boxing-magazine","tag-boxing-news","tag-boxing-photos","tag-boxing-rankings","tag-boxing-schedule","tag-boxing-videos","tag-boxing-results","tag-disqualification","tag-draw","tag-fight","tag-fighter","tag-fighter-news","tag-knockout","tag-latest-boxing-matches","tag-ring","tag-ring-magazine","tag-split-decision","tag-sports","tag-technical-knockout","tag-the-ring","tag-top-fighters","tag-uk","tag-united-kingdom","tag-unitedkingdom","tag-upcoming-boxing-matches"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126964","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=126964"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/126964\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/126965"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=126964"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=126964"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=126964"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}