BoxRec

Former world super-featherweight champion Francisco Vargas will battle UK contender Stephen Smith on December 9 in an HBO addition to the Orlando Salido v Miguel Roman clash.

Vargas is warming up for a potential rematch with Salido in 2018, although Smith will feel he has something to prove following losses to US-based ex-belt holders Jose Pedraza and Jason Sosa at world level.

Vargas should be knocking Smith out.

Sosa beat up Smith and dominated him fairly comfortably and Vargas is easily a level above him.

Should be a good fight while it last though. Stephen Smith is just not world class never has been and never will be.

Smith is at that fringe/ European level fighter at best. Nothing to be ashamed of at all.

Vargas going to spark him

Vargas by KO inside 5.

The reason why i happy with this fight is because matchroom will show it, i

who knows though maybe vargas aint the same after last fight? he took a bad beating.

Vargas has taken so much punishment in his last 3 (Miura, Salido and Berchelt) it's a wonder what he has left in the tank

Boxing Prospect wrote: ↑12 Nov 2017, 06:08 Vargas has taken so much punishment in his last 3 (Miura, Salido and Berchelt) it's a wonder what he has left in the tank

True

But Smith got battered by Sosa and has fought 30 seconds since.

The three guys you mentioned would stop Smith and beat Sosa

vargas should be the favourite but he has taken huge amounts of punishment. his last 3 were all unreally brutal wars, more brutal than sosa-smith. some guys are made of steel and can go through those for years, but it does make me wonder what hell have left. i imagine hell cut/swell easy too.

i cant write smith off because of questions over what vargas has left, even though i dont think smiths at the level vargas was at in those wars.just not sure if vargas is there any longer.

Naandrew wrote: ↑11 Nov 2017, 08:06 Vargas should be knocking Smith out.

Sosa beat up Smith and dominated him fairly comfortably and Vargas is easily a level above him.

Should be a good fight while it last though. Stephen Smith is just not world class never has been and never will be.

Smith is at that fringe/ European level fighter at best. Nothing to be ashamed of at all.

Sosa v Smith is regarded as a very good fight - I find the use of the words comfortable and dominated very strange - and it’s likely Vargas v Smith is made on the strength of that along with Vargas’ wars with Miura and Salido.