5 of the best Mexican boxing showdowns (VIDEO)
2. Francisco Vargas vs. Orlando Salido
On the day after Muhammad Ali's death, the fight between Orlando Salido and Francisco Vargas was cathartic, helping the boxing world heal. Vargas, the then WBC Super Featherweight champion, emerged as one of Mexico's most exciting fighters, stopping Takashi Miura in the 2015 fight of the year.
Salido, a former featherweight and super featherweight titleholder, was thought to have seen his best days pass. After a pair of victories in excellent fights with Puerto Rico's Juan Manuel Lopez, he was largely dominated by Mikey Garcia, who dropped him three times before the fight was stopped due to an accidental headbutt after eight rounds.
He then went through several inconsistent performances where he won a controversial decision over Vasiliy Lomachenko. In two fights with Roman Martinez, he lost a decision and earned a draw. Many believed that the wars Salido had been part of had finally taken their toll.
But, realizing this could be his final world title opportunity, Salido rose to the occasion. The battle between Salido and Vargas took place at the StubHub Center (Dignity Health Sports Park) in Carson, CA, an arena known for its tendency to hold action-packed fights. In that tradition, Vargas and Salido lived up to expectations, delivering one of the best fights in the arena's history.
It can be hyperbole to state that fighters trade rounds, but in the case of Vargas and Salido, whenever one fighter looked to have the advantage, the other immediately retaliated. The ebbs and flows within rounds featured Salido's ability to throw combinations with hooks while Vargas landed straight punches in between exchanges.
Often overlooked in these types of fights, which are a war of attrition, is the skill on display. There were moments when Saildo would counter Vargas while on the ropes or when Vargas timed Salido with uppercuts when he was attacked to the body. The in-fighting exhibited by the two was reminiscent of the classic fight between Jose Luis Castillo and Diego Corrales a decade earlier.
The effort both fighters left in the ring left little difference between them. In one of the few fights in which you won't hear any complaints about the judges' scorecards, Vargas-Salido scored a draw. And deservedly so. Neither fighter's performance justified a loss on their record. The judges scored the match a majority draw, with one score for Vargas at 115-113 and 114-114 twice.
Vargas-Salido was the unanimous fight of the year for 2016, winning by numerous publications, including Ring Magazine and ESPN.