Junior middleweight Fernando Vargas Jnr made a statement by stopping Gonzalo Gaston Coria in the fourth round Saturday at Thunder Studios in Long Beach, California.
Vargas, 28, boxed carefully to start the fight but by the second round faced pressure from Coria, who was eager to exchange blows. Vargas remained patient, waiting for his moment to attack. In the fourth, a right hook followed by a straight left sent Coria to the canvas, prompting referee Raul Caiz Jnr to call off the bout.
Vargas improved to 17-0 (15 KOs), continuing his undefeated streak. He is the oldest son of former titleholder Fernando Vargas.
Coria, 23-8 (9 KOs), saw his career momentum stalled after most recently pulling a knockout upset over Raul Lizarraga.
Coria missed weight on Friday ahead of the Vargas fight.
In the co-feature, junior welterweight Nathan Rodriguez maintained his undefeated record, stopping Carlos Buitrago, of Managua, Nicaragua, in the fifth round. Buitrago’s corner stopped the fight in between rounds, which caused some objection from Buitrago after the fight was called off.
Rodriguez, 20, improved to 19-0 (13 KOs) while Buitrago, 33, fell to 39-15-1 (23 KOs).
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.