Kendo Castaneda Predicts Stoppage Win Over Josue Vargas

Kendo Castaneda may be as ready as he’s ever been, as pro, for his test.

Coming into the 140 pound plus ESPN/Top Rank showdown with Josue Vargas on the Lomachenko vs. Lopez undercard, Kendo was sparring three times a week with Regis Prograis.

“Dawg work,” the Texan with a 17-2 record told NY Fights. “We are getting ready together. We both got big fights one week after another.”

And that sparring, that makes a big difference? “All the difference for me to be ready for the next level,” the 26 year old from San Antonio told me.

And, I asked him when this fight was announced, has he already scouted Vargas? What is his scouting report? “Great young fighter,” Castaneda said. “Great talent. No man strength. I see it as winner takes all fight.”

Vargas has real good skills, he continued. He owns some of the same attributes that make Prograis a top level pugilist. “But the same man strength? No.”

Castaneda comes in having lost two straight, but his confidence isn’t lagging. He lost a MD to 18-0 Yomar Alamo, a Puerto Rican. And then, there’s zero shame in losing to Jose Zepeda, on July 7, 2020. Vargas, who is just 22 years old, is 17-1, and that loss came in 2016, versus 17-11-3 Sammy Santana. It was a DQ, and not earned, in many minds. Vargas ripped shots on Santana, knocked him down, then got sent to the mat, but roared back with another knockdown.

I didn’t agree with the call by ref Tony Weeks that a shot behind the head by Vargas was such that he deserved to lose by disqualification.

OK, anyway….Prediction time, please.

“I predict a tremendous showdown and CASTANEDA winning via TKO,” Kendo stated. “In the late rounds.”