Jessie Vargas Leaves Mayweather Promotions, Signs With Top Rank

Whatever bogus claim "Mayweather Promotions" has ever had to being an actual promotional company took a hit yesterday, as the group lost their only notable non-Floyd fighter, as Jessie Vargas has signed with Top Rank. This has been expected since Vargas signed with manager Cameron Dunkin earlier this month.

Vargas said he hopes to make his Top Rank debut in September, which could theoretically come on the proposed Julio Cesar Chavez Jr vs Sergio Martinez PPV card, and Top Rank's Bob Arum says the company is "very excited" to have him on their roster.

Vargas (19-0, 9 KO) is a solid welterweight prospect, but I don't see real star future in him personally, which I've said a lot. His best win came last September over Josesito Lopez, and that was a very close fight. He's followed that up with very easy victories over veterans Lanardo Tyner and Steve Forbes.

His defection is a wise business move. Mayweather Promotions is not truly a promotional company, and has never been the promoter of record for any card. With Vargas gone, that leaves them with Floyd and Deandre Latimore, a curious signing who has had two fights with the company's logo firmly behind him, barely escaping against Milton Nunez in February, and then getting manhandled by Carlos Quintana on the Mayweather vs Cotto undercard.

Despite the better career handling he should receive at Top Rank, don't expect Vargas, 23, to be thrown into the fire quickly. For one thing, he's young, and there's just no need to do that, and for another thing, he has a lot of areas where he could use improvement. Top Rank has good matchmakers who should be able to get him fights that will get him useful ring experience, and if he's good enough to get better, he should be able to do that.