Callum Walsh has been teased as the potential face of upstart promotional outfit Zuffa Boxing.
A grander stage could not be provided for his first step towards living up to those expectations.
The wildly popular junior middleweight contender has landed a premium slot as the co-feature to the highly anticipated Saul “Canelo” Alvarez-Terence “Bud” Crawford superfight on September 13. Ireland’s Walsh will face second-generation boxer Fernando Vargas Jnr in a scheduled 10-round contest.
Both fights will air live on Netflix from Allegiant Stadium, home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, as the first-ever boxing event to take place at the venue.
Walsh has already emerged as the most prominent fighter on 360 Promotions’ Hollywood Fight Night series on UFC Fight Pass, headed up by his career long promoter, Tom Loeffler.
The 24-year-old southpaw from Cork, Ireland made his pro debut in December 2021, a few months after relocating to California to train out of Hollywood under Hall of Fame cornerman Freddie Roach. All but one of his 14 pro bouts have taken place in the U.S., where he has become a reliable ticket seller both in California and New York.
His lone fight abroad actually took place at home, a second-round knockout of Przemyslaw Runowski last September 20 in Dublin. Two wins have followed, including a technical unanimous decision over veteran spoiler Elias Espadas on June 21 in Santa Ynez, California.
The victory ran Walsh’s record to 14-0 (11 KOs) on the night. His simple message ahead of this fight is to add one more to the win column.
“It’s showtime,” Walsh said in response to the biggest news of his career to date. “15-0.”
Naturally, his well known opponent has something to say about that.
Vargas, 17-0 (15 KOs), takes an overdue step up in competition in accepting this assignment.
The namesake of former two-time titlist Fernando Vargas Snr is the oldest of three fighting brothers in the pro ranks, all of whom hail from Oxnard, California but now live in Vegas. Emiliano Vargas, 15-0 (13 KOs), 21, is one of the sport’s fastest rising talents, while 25-year-old Amado Vargas, 13-0 (6 KOs) remains more of an influencer than a promising prospect.
Fernando Jnr is squarely in the middle of the two, though he’s effortlessly handled any challenge put in front of him to date. He’s yet to be taken beyond the sixth round through nearly five years as a pro and now has the chance to prove that he’s more than just a familiar name.
“In five weeks, I make the doubters believers,” vowed Vargas.
News of Walsh-Vargas was revealed by boxing financier Turki Alalshikh – head of Riyadh Season and the driving force behind the show – in an announcement via social media revealing the full streamed undercard.
As previously reported by BoxingScene, the show will also include a super middleweight fight between unbeaten WBC interim titlist Christian Mbilli and undefeated contender Lester Martinez. The undercard will also include Riyadh-born lightweight prospect Mohammed Alakel, 4-0 (0 KOs), who will face San Diego’s John Ornelas, 5-2-1 (2 KOs).
Alakel is currently scheduled to face Yumnan Santosh Singh this weekend in Riyadh, where the entirety of his young career has taken place since turning pro last October. In the event of an injury-free performance on Saturday, he will then make his U.S. debut on this show.
