Vargas misses knockout try, gets decision over Gasparyan

For all the talk from Jessie Vargas about getting a knockout, he had to work hard just to win a decision against Vito Gasparyan on Friday at Texas Station.

Vargas, a 23-year-old welterweight from Las Vegas, improved to 21-0 with a 10-round unanimous decision that was closer than the scores indicated.

"I really wanted to take him out, and it was a little frustrating at times," Vargas said. "We knew he was a tough guy, and he wasn't going to go down easy. But I know he felt my power. I worked the body hard, and I knew I was winning virtually every round."

Vargas almost got his knockout late in the ninth round when he landed three solid rights to Gasparyan's chin. But Gasparyan stayed on his feet and held on as the bell sounded, then survived the final round.

Judges Glenn Trowbridge and Ricardo Ocasio each had Vargas ahead 98-91, and judge Al Lefkowitz scored it 98-90.

I thought I had the knockout in the ninth round," Vargas said. "Twenty more seconds and he was gone."

Vargas went on the attack from the opening bell, looking to land solid combinations while also establishing his left jab. Gasparyan looked to counter with a left hook, but he wasn't as busy as he should have been.

Vargas worked the body well, and by the end of the second round, Gasparyan's rib cage on both sides was red from the constant pounding. He was still willing to engage despite the body shots he was absorbing and started finding the range with an effective uppercut and overhand left.

Gasparyan (14-3-5) delivered some good shots in the third and fifth rounds, standing toe-to-toe with Vargas and winning several exchanges to stay in the fight.

But Vargas started moving and boxing in the seventh round. He did a better job of eluding Gasparyan, who was more than willing to turn the bout into a street brawl and fight strictly on the inside.

It was more of the same in the eighth, as Vargas' trainer, Robert Alcazar, got Vargas to circle, outbox Gasparyan and stick and move with the jab.

"When he moved and put his combinations together, he boxed beautifully," Alcazar said.

The plan was working, but Vargas tagged Gasparyan with a low blow. Referee Vic Drakulich, who had warned Vargas several times to pick up his punches, deducted a point for the foul late in the eighth round.

But it was not a factor, as Vargas finished strong, stayed undefeated and hopes to fight again in early February.

"It was a good test for me," he said.

In the co-feature, two-time Mexican Olympic featherweight Oscar Valdez improved to 3-0 with a convincing second-round technical knockout of Corben Page.

Valdez used an effective left hook to pummel Page (4-5-1), almost knocking him down twice in the first round of their four-round bout.

It was more of the same in the second round, as Page was unable to fight back after taking a steady stream of lefts to the face. His corner asked referee Kenny Bayless to stop the fight, which he did at 2:24.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.