Emiliano Vargas continues to prove he’s one of boxing’s brightest young stars. The undefeated junior welterweight contender unveiled a new wrinkle to his game Saturday night, fighting almost exclusively from the southpaw stance as he stopped Bryce Mills in the fourth round on the undercard of Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Xander Zayas at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
The dominant performance further strengthened Vargas’ growing reputation as one of the sport’s elite prospects.
Although naturally right-handed, Vargas (18-0, 15 KOs) spent nearly the entire fight boxing as a southpaw, drawing comparisons to multi-division champion Terence Crawford with his ability to seamlessly switch stances.
The strategy immediately caught Mills off guard. Following the fight, Vargas told DAZN’s Chris Mannix that he could see the surprise on Mills’ face when he opened the bout fighting left-handed.
After weathering an aggressive opening round, Vargas settled into his rhythm and began taking control behind sharp counters and accurate straight left hands.
Fourth-Round Finish
The end came early in Round 4. A perfectly timed straight left sent Bryce Mills crashing awkwardly to the canvas for the fight’s first official knockdown. Although Mills beat the count, Vargas quickly switched back to his natural orthodox stance and landed a crushing right hand that staggered his opponent across the ring.
As Vargas unloaded another barrage of punches, referee Ricky Gonzalez stepped in to stop the contest at 1:17 of the fourth round. It marked the first knockout loss of Mills’ professional career.
Vargas was also credited with a knockdown late in the third round, though replay appeared to show Mills fell after Vargas pushed him while their feet became tangled. Regardless of the disputed call, there was little doubt about the decisive finish moments later.
Prospect Continues to Rise
The victory further solidifies Vargas’ status as one of boxing’s top young contenders. The reigning Ring Magazine Prospect of the Year entered the fight ranked No. 2 by the WBO at 140 pounds, positioning himself as a future challenger for WBO champion Shakur Stevenson.
The Las Vegas native also snapped Bryce Mills’ impressive 16-fight winning streak. Mills (22-2, 9 KOs), who had not lost since a split-decision defeat in 2021, had no answer for Vargas’ speed, versatility and power once the unbeaten contender found his rhythm.
The youngest son of former world champion Fernando Vargas continues to develop into one of the sport’s most exciting young fighters. With 15 knockouts in 18 victories and another dominant performance against an unbeaten opponent, Vargas appears to be closing in on his first world title opportunity. If Saturday night’s performance was any indication, the 140-pound division may soon have another championship threat to contend with.
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Robert LaMar is a Deputy Editor for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
