Callum Walsh Talks Almost Missing Out On Canelo-Crawford & Fernando Vargas Jr

In round two, an accidental clash of heads opened a deep gash above Walsh’s right eye—a brutal cut that immediately raised concern. The ringside doctor inspected it after both the third and fourth rounds, and by the start of the fifth, deemed Walsh unfit to continue. The referee waved off the bout, sending it to the scorecards. All three judges had it 50-46 in favor of Walsh, who walked away with a technical decision victory.

The cut, which required eight stitches according to Lance Pugmire of Boxing Scene, cast doubt on Walsh’s spot on the Canelo-Crawford undercard. Walsh said the eye took “four to five weeks” to heal before he could return to the gym—placing the start of full training camp in late July or early August. Despite the compressed timeline, Walsh is confident in the recovery and how well the eye has held up under pressure.

“I feel good as I had time for it to heal before getting back into the gym,” Walsh told FightsATW. “Right now, it’s feeling good; it actually feels perfect. I’ve been sparring constantly at the gym, so it’s been fine. I’m looking forward to the fight. I think it’ll be fine and won’t even open.”

From the outside, there were doubts about whether Walsh would be ready for the September 13 fight. But internally, he never wavered—even if it meant he had to hop his way into the ring.

“It was always on the back of my mind that maybe I wasn’t able to fight on the Canelo-Crawford card,” said Walsh. “But at the end of the day, it’s a massive opportunity. I could have lost my leg in that last fight, and I still would have taken this fight. This is a fight that I cannot miss. To be the co-main for Canelo-Crawford, one of the biggest fights in boxing history, yea, I could have lost my leg and I would’ve still been hopping out there to fight.”

Callum Walsh Feels No Pressure

On September 13, Walsh will square off against Vargas Jr. in the co-main event—likely the most-watched bout outside the historic headliner. With the potential for tens of millions of viewers tuning in, the moment could rattle even seasoned fighters. But Walsh is cool as a cucumber. He sees the pressure as mutual, believing both he and Vargas have plenty on the line—just in different ways.

“I think we both have a lot to lose,” said Walsh. “I feel like I’m at a higher level than he is. If he beats me, it’s going to look very bad, and if I can’t beat Fernando Vargas Jr., then how am I going to fight at the top level? In boxing, one loss is a massive thing. This could easily end someone’s career. This should happen more often in boxing when two undefeated fighters face each other.”

When it comes to fight night prep, Walsh is sticking to what works—that’s how he stays centered. “I have a good team around me. I never let anything get to my head. I’m just training for a fight like I always do. I’m training very hard for this fight. Right now, I’m not feeling it (pressure). Hopefully, on fight night, it’s the same.”

With fight night streaming on Netflix and the main event drawing a heavy share of casual viewers, what will they take away after watching Walsh in action? “Fans will realize that I am the real deal and that I have a will to win,” Walsh said confidently. “I want to put on a good fight for the fans that have never seen fights before and have them become fans of the sport forever.”

Walsh has a golden opportunity to win over fight fans, expand his following, and prove to Zuffa Boxing that he’s ready to be the face of their push into the sport. But can he rise to the moment—or will Vargas Jr. show he’s operating on a level that’s been underestimated? The answer is just days away.