A long layoff and transition to a new weight class had no adverse affect on Rey Vargas.
The former WBC 122-pound titleholder, making his debut as a full-fledged 126-pounder, picked apart a game, but overmatched Leonard Baez to win a unanimous decision on the Canelo Alvarez-Caleb Plant card Saturday at the MGM in Las Vegas.
Vargas (35-0, 22 KOs) used his long jab and sharp power shots — including many to the body — to keep his fellow Mexican at a distance that was favorable for the taller fighter, who also was the much better boxer.
Baez (21-5, 12 KOs) worked his way inside at times — and landed some solid shots — but he couldn’t do it consistently enough to win rounds. He could take solace only in the fact he survived to hear the final bell.
Thus, the final scores were no surprise: 99-91, 100-90 and 100-90. Boxing Junkie also scored the fight 100-90, a shutout.
Vargas hadn’t fought in more than two years, in part because of a broken leg he suffered while on a training run last year. Now, with a featherweight victory under his belt, a title shot could be on the horizon.
Vargas jumped to the top of the WBC rankings by virtue of his former title, which puts him in position to challenge long-reigning champion Gary Russell Jr.