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Jessie Vargas & Liam Smith Clash
On Taylor vs. Serrano Card April 30
Jessie Vargas and Liam Smith collide in a must-win
Super-Welterweight clash at Madison Square Garden in New
York on Saturday April 30, live worldwide on DAZN, leading
the undercard for the historic clash between Katie Taylor
and Amanda Serrano, brought to you by Matchroom Boxing and
Most Valuable Promotions.
Presale begins at 12noon ET on Thursday February 3, with
tickets on general sale at 12noon ET on Friday February 4 –
tickets start at $56 (plus fees)
Vargas (29-3-2 11 KOs) returns to the ring for the first
time since his narrow reversal at the hands of Mikey Garcia
in Texas in February 2020. The former two-weight World
champion is hungry to become a three-time ruler, and the 32
year old is training for the Smith clash while running his
political campaign to represent Nevada’s 4th Congressional
District.
Smith (30-3-1 17 KOs) will defend the WBA International
strap he won in his last outing, where he stopped local
rival Anthony Fowler in eight rounds in October at the M&S
Arena in Liverpool, bouncing back in style from a slender
loss in Russia to Magomed Kurbanov in May. The 33 year old
held the WBO World title in 2015-16, and now sits at #4 in
the WBA rankings and eyeing two-time World champion status.
Vargas and Smith were due to meet this weekend in Phoenix,
but COVID ruled the former out of the clash and Saturday’s
bill will now be topped by Carlos Cuadras and Jesse
Rodriguez battling for the vacant WBC World Super-Flyweight
title live worldwide on DAZN. Vargas and Smith will come to
the Big Apple all guns blazing, and both men believe they
will end the career of the other on April 30.
“Thankfully I’m now through COVID,” said Vargas. “I want to
show everyone I’m better than before, I’ve been working on
things in the gym, so it’s not like I’ve had a two year
lay-off.
“Liam is talking a lot, the fire is burning inside me. You
don’t trash talk me, I’m coming in a different person. This
will be an action-packed fight. I’ll exploit all of his
weaknesses and take him out - My goal is to knock him out
and retire him!
“It’s going to be an amazing night. Amanda and Katie are
trailblazers for the sport, and I’m honored to be a part of
an historic event in New York.”
“I’m buzzing and proud to be fighting at Madison Square
Garden,” said Smith. “It’s one I can tick off my bucket list
now along with Las Vegas; MSG is the pinnacle of boxing and
everything happens for a reason so I am happy to be heading
to New York on April 30. The main event is fantastic, Katie
is always in exciting fights, and I am sure there will be
lots of British and Irish fans there that will be backing me
too.
“This fight is an itch that has needed scratching for a long
time now and I want to beat Jessie and beat him well and
move on. I hope that he turns up fit and healthy this time
as I am aiming to retire him and send him into politics. He
wants to move into politics, and I will give him a reason to
concentrate on that 100 per cent.
“Jessie stopping me? I find that highly unlikely when only
one person has done that and Jessie is no Canelo Alvarez. I
fully intend on stopping him, being the first man to do it
and adding my name to the names that have beaten him.”
Years in the making, the biggest fight ever in women’s
boxing between the pound-for-pound #1 and #2 fighters of the
world is one that will not only make boxing history, but
women’s sports history. MSG has hosted thousands of fights
through its illustrious years, beginning more than a century
ago on July 17, 1882; now, 140 years later, this matchup
finally marks the very first time two female fighters are
headlining a combat sports event at 'The World’s Most Famous
Arena'. #ForHistory
More additions to the card will be announced later today.
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