by James Slater – ESPN 2 viewers will be getting what will likely be a pretty interesting evening of heavyweight entertainment when they tune into the May 15th show that will be broadcast by the network. The unbeaten and ultra-confident Kevin “KingPin” Johnson headlines the card, when he takes on the always dangerous Monte “Two Gunz” Barrett, and now it looks like another unbeaten prospect, in former Olympian Devin Vargas, will fight former WBA heavyweight champ Bruce Seldon on the same show..
Okay, neither fight sets the pulses racing, but for free T.V fair both bouts are intriguing enough.
27-year-old Vargas, currently 17-0(7), has been pretty quiet as of late – with just one fight fought since May of last year. In 42-year-old Seldon, the man who represented his country at the Athens Olympics will be meeting his most well know pro opponent yet. The aggressive-minded warrior from Toledo will be looking to make a statement by taking “The Atlantic City Express” out.
A pro since November of 2004, Vargas has made steady progress at best, it must be said. However, now that he’s finding himself getting some decent T.V coverage Vargas will be out to make a name for himself. Seldon, at a still reasonable 39-7(35), can give the young fighter a stiff test if he’s in the mood – but will he be?
Seldon faced the May 15th headliner, Johnson, back in September of last year – losing by TKO in the 5th round. The veteran won a 2nd round TKO over the then 11-1 Brad Gregory two months later, and now he will be hoping he can derail Vargas. Maybe, just maybe, we will get a fight that proves to be a real excitement-filled battle.
Vargas has superb amateur pedigree, yet in truth he has not lived up to his promise as a pro. So far the 27-year-old has not met anyone that could be described as an overly live opponent, and it is now time for him to get a move on. At the very least, the Seldon fight is a step in the right direction.
As to why Seldon is still fighting – his hope of scoring a career-reviving upset win aside – it’s tough to say. Maybe the fight Bruce is still best know for – his 1st round capitulation at the hands of Mike Tyson – still bothers him, and this is the reason he fights on.
The Johnson-Barrett fight will garner the most attention on May 15th, but sometimes fights that pit ageing punchers with young and untested hopes give us value for money action. Let’s hope this is the case with Vargas-Seldon when they meet in Atlantic City, New Jersey.