Key Fight Details
- Star Boxing prospect Alex Vargas returns to the ring after a 30-month layoff on Friday, April 17, at the Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden.
- Vargas is under pressure to perform on the Most Valuable Promotions MVPW-02 card, airing live on ESPN+.
- The undercard fights begin at 6:45 p.m. ET/3:45 p.m. PT. Vargas expects to make his ringwalk at 8:15 p.m. ET/5:15 p.m. PT.
It is well known that boxing is a cruel business, a dance of shifting shadows where the rug gets pulled out before the first punch is even thrown. For weeks, the narrative of April 17 was a collision course with Long Island’s Alex Vargas and Ireland’s Ryan O’Rourke, two undefeated Star Boxing prospects, meeting in the center of the ring to determine Star Boxing supremacy.
Vargas and O’Rourke were set to meet on the undercard of the Most Valuable Promotions event on Friday at The Infosys Theater at Madison Square Garden, in support of the MVPW-02 card, the U.S. debut of the MVP series on ESPN.
But as the saying goes in the gyms from Brooklyn to Bellport: Man plans, and the boxing gods laugh. O’Rourke is out, dealing with a personal issue that affected him coming to the United States. O’Rourke was devastated that he was unable to make the fight happen, as was Vargas.
“He was really looking forward to fighting Ryan. They both are prospects and both have been fighting at the Paramount. That fight has been brewing for a while. But (Vargas) was right on it,” said Joe DeGuardia, CEO of Star Boxing.
The opponent is now Chicago’s unbeaten Rani Jalomo (7-0-1, 4 KOs), coming off an upset win.
“We went to work right away. It’s part of the program of what we had to do. We committed to providing the fight, and we found a tough, undefeated fighter,” said DeGuardia.
Undefeated vs undefeated 🥊💥 Alex “El Toro” Vargas and Rani Jalomo share one last stare down before their 8‑round junior welterweight showdown in New York.
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Friday, April 17
LIVE on ESPN
Infosys Theater at MSG – NYC#MVPW02 pic.twitter.com/MY8D7sKq76— MVP – Most Valuable Promotions (@MostVpromotions) April 16, 2026
Same Mission For Alex Vargas, New Opponent
Yet, for Alex Vargas, the mission hasn’t changed. While Jalomo steps in, the real adversary is the same one every Huntington prospect faces when they step onto 33rd Street: the expectations of the “Rockin’ Fights Blueprint.”
“I’ve been doubted my entire career, but that’s what motivated me. Fighting at Madison Square Garden is a dream,” said Alex Vargas.
The Crucible of the Paramount
The Paramount in Huntington isn’t just a theater; it’s a high-pressure furnace. The forge of champions, as it has become known. It’s where Joe DeGuardia’s Rockin’ Fights series has forged local legends for years.
To the uninitiated, Alex “El Toro” Vargas is a hometown favorite with a loud following. He stands as one of the most successful fighters in the series and one of its top draws. To those who know the game, he is the latest student of a specific tradition.
The path from Huntington to Madison Square Garden is a well-worn trail of blood and grit. We’ve seen it before with Chris Algieri, who parlayed his Huntington dominance into a world title and major Garden headliners. We saw it with Joe Smith Jr., the ‘Common Man’ who brought his heavy-handed union grit from the Paramount floorboards to the light heavyweight throne.
“It’s the ultimate preparation, you can go to the biggest venues. Chris Algieri even said there is nothing like the Paramount, the crowds on top of you, it’s a pressure cooker situation,” said DeGuardia.
Vargas (14-0, 5 KOs) now steps into that same lineage like Cletus Seldin and Danny Gonzalez before him. Stablemate Wendy Toussaint took a fight a weight class up at the Garden on less than
24-hours notice. Like them, Vargas carries the ‘Huntington Vanguard, ‘ a reputation for high-volume pressure and a refusal to be outworked.
“It’s time to beat another undefeated fighter and prove I belong here,” said Vargas.
Adversity as a Teacher: Godoy and Rosa
Vargas’s mettle isn’t just local hype. It’s documented in his recent wars. To see what Vargas is made of, you only need to look at his last two outings.
Against Mauro Maximiliano Godoy, we saw the surgical “El Toro.” Vargas used exquisite footwork and sharp combinations to dismantle a veteran with nearly 50 fights of experience, forcing Godoy to stay on the stool after the fifth. It was a masterclass in controlled aggression.
Then came the Julio Rosa fight, a night that tested the very soul of the Bellport native. In a shocking opening round, Vargas tasted the canvas for the first time in his career.
A lesser fighter might have folded under the weight of a sold-out hometown crowd, but Vargas showed the heart that separates prospects from contenders. He centered himself, outworked a game Rosa over the remaining rounds, and earned a unanimous decision. He didn’t just win; he proved he could survive the storm.
“Performing at my best on this stage has been prepared through years of fighting at a different venue. The Paramount, the venue is much smaller, but the atmosphere is like a big arena … same energy, but it feels way more personal, everyone is so close,” explained Vargas.
The 30-Month Shadow
Perhaps the most daunting opponent on April 17 isn’t Jalomo, but the calendar itself. When Vargas steps into the ring at the Garden, it will be his first professional appearance in nearly two and a half years.
That kind of layoff can breed ring rust, which wreaks havoc on timing and distance. The Garden isn’t a place for a tune-up. It’s a place for a statement.
For Vargas, his return is a fresh reintroduction to a national audience on ESPN+.
On Friday at the MVPW-02 event, Alex Vargas will fight to validate his “Rockin’ Fights” credentials, honor those who came before him, and blaze a trail for those who are on the way. He carries the expectations of a Star Boxing team that knows how to build champions from the ground up.
“Feeling that up close pressure is what prepared me for Friday night’s atmosphere, and I know I will be ready for it,” said Vargas.
The dance partner has changed, and the layoff has been long, but the mandate for “El Toro” remains the same: to prove that Huntington doesn’t just produce local favorites; it produces Garden-ready warriors.
A 30-month layoff and a last-minute opponent change would break most fighters. Vargas has already shown he can get off the floor and win. It’s one more chapter in the Huntington-to-MSG story. He relishes the chance to write it.
“I want to thank MVP Promotions, Jake Paul, and of course, my team, Joe DeGuardia, Star Boxing, for this opportunity,” said Vargas.
A lifelong resident of Long Island, New York, Matthew Pomara, MMP, has always followed the sweet science. He caught the tail end of the Ali era, was a staunch follower of the Four Kings of the 80’s, loved the great expansion of the sport in the 90’s and has stayed with boxing through the 2000s. He has been published in The Ring Magazine and loves contributing to @NYFights. He can be found on Twitter @pomara_matt