The past weekend was boxing-packed, and with the action beginning on Friday evening, fans of pugilism will be nicely satisfied. Some of the match-ups may have reeked of handpicked showcases, but one that didn’t was Bradley vs Vargas.
In Carson, California, Timothy Bradley and Jessie Vargas produced a fine fan-friendly contest that exceeded expectations. It also proved to be controversial – as can be the case in those involving Bradley. Referee Pat Russell made a huge faux pas in the final round, and boy, are people talking about it. More on that in a moment.
This was a bout that asked whether youth and hunger could beat experience, and – for the most part – it was answered. Bradley showed he was just as hungry – if not hungrier – than his younger foe by out-slugging and boxing Vargas over 12 rounds. Bradley showed why he is considered one of the most versatile fighters in boxing, and enjoyed great success with the jab and over-hand right.
It was impressive stuff, and to be fair, Vargas was never absent from the fight. The problem: Vargas was just wasn’t in it enough. That can’t be said for the 12th round, however, when he landed a beautiful right-hand counter to the jaw of Bradley. The shot buckled Bradley’s legs, nearly dropping the Californian boxer/slugger, sending him trailing backwards.
What happened next is the reason Vargas, his team and fans, are more than a little ‘displeased’ with referee Russell. Following the red light to take Bradley out in the precious remaining seconds, Vargas went after his hurt opponent. But then Russell stepped in – with around 10 seconds or so remaining – and waved his hands in the air.
To just about everyone spectating, corners and officials included, it looked like Russell had called an end to the bout, indicating Vargas was the victor. Now that’s a fair assumption – or so it would seem. Actually, Russell was stopping the fight for another reason entirely. He was ending it because his ears told him the final bell had sounded.
So had it rung early? Hadn’t it? It didn’t resonate through TV speakers, and as of yet, no one in attendance has backed up Russell’s claims. The popular theory is that Russell mistook the 10-second-clapper for the bell. The bout then went to the scorecards, with Bradley winning a clear decision on numbers of 116-112, 117-111, 115-112. BoxingBase.com had it 116-112.
Post-fight, Bradley said he would have survived the round, and the feeling is mutual between the staff here at BoxingBase.com. Fans of Vargas, his team, and Vargas himself, may disagree. And they’ve got every right to. Anything could have happened in those final seconds, and the rules were broken that night. Vargas’ chance to seize victory had been swiftly severed by Russell.
But the chances of Bradley riding out those final seconds seem rather great in reflection. The experienced fighter knows how to survive nightmare rounds and to tactically save himself from defeat. If that had meant taking a knee – as he did against Ruslan Providnikov in the 12th also – he could have. Bradley would have likely tied up Vargas and held on for dear life, as he stated post-fight.
And what if Bradley had been knocked down? Assuming Russell wouldn’t have stepped in (resulting in an actual TKO), Bradley would have had 10 seconds to rise. Bradley’s proven durability suggests he would have beat the count.
It’s not a fact, no. None of the above is. But, it seems very likely that Bradley would have still been the victor of this fight had Russell not called the premature end.
Should Russell be demonized now? It must be hard not to for those who are any way involved with Vargas. But for everyone else, especially boxing fans, we shouldn’t ride him too much for it. Russell made an awful mistake, sure, but he did what he felt he had to do in accordance with the rules. Russell had a hurt fighter in front of him, thought he heard the bell, and had to make a call. Unfortunately, it was the wrong one.
With all the yelling and screaming from the excitable crowd, who knows? Perhaps the 10-second clapper did sound like the final bell?
Catch HBO’s Bradley vs Vargas Highlights below:
What are your thoughts on the fight and Russell’s call? Will we now be seeing Bradley vs Vargas II? And does Vargas deserve the rematch? Let us know below!
