Gavin McDonnell misses out on joining twin Jamie as a world champion after defeat to Rey Vargas
Gavin McDonnell came up short on Saturday night, giving everything in his 122lb frame in a determined, valiant challenge against Mexican Rey Vargas for the vacant World Boxing Council super bantamweight title.
He never gave up while being outboxed and outpunched over 12 long, hard rounds.
Vargas, a talented boxer who looked a level above the Doncaster man, moved to 29 fights unbeaten with a majority decision on the judges' cards, 117-111, 116-112, with the third scoring official, Ian John Lewis, inexplicably returning a 114-114 draw in the title fight at Hull Ice Rink.
Vargas used his long levers to dominate the early rounds, targeting both head and, notably, the Briton's body, before boxing from the outside in the middle rounds, pursued relentlessly by the twin, whose brother Jamie is a world bantamweight champion.
McDonnell's best rounds came in the final third, as the Mexican began to tire.
"It were them long arms," said McDonnell afterwards, his faced busted up, but having displayed the tenacity of a fighter who will come again, having suffered his first defeat in his 19th fight.
"I haven't given up hope of fighting another time for a world title," he said. "I will join my brother as a world champion one day."
