By Jake Donovan

Pablo Munguia proudly defended his home turf while snatching the "0" of a visiting prospect in the process.

The fleshy welterweight brawled his way to a unanimous decision win over previously unbeaten Samuel Vargas over ten rounds Saturday evening in Mexico City.

Scores weren't formally announced at fight's end, but Munguia's dominance was evidence early and throughout the contest.

Vargas looked the part of a promising prospect, unbeaten, lean and with solid fundamentals. Born in Colombia but fighting out of Canada since turning pro in 2010, Vargas found himself in Mexico for his second straight contest. His previous road trip offered a far more favorable result, a 7th round knockout of Cruz Flores just 11 weeks ago.

Munguia provided a different kind of challenge altogether, the worst kind for any prospect on the rise who hasn't yet been matched tough.

The Mexico City native is a walking definition of how looks can be deceiving. His physical presence - from his uniquely groomed mustache to the rolls of

chicho

hanging over his trunks - boasts all the intimidation of an out-of-work porn actor.  

All of that changes the moment the opening bell rings. That was a lesson Vargas quickly learned, as he immediately found himself dragged into deep waters. Munguia didn't quite drown his younger foe, but certainly struck fear into his fighting heart. The tempo of the bout remained steady throughout, with Munguia on the attack and Vargas desperately trying to turn a fight into a boxing match.

By the time Vargas was able to settle in and actually have his say in any given exchange, the fight was well decided in the eyes of the judges. It was clear that Vargas was never going to turn the tide; the best he could do was plant his feet and trade, hoping to land enough shots to earn Munguia's respect.

Perhaps that much was achieved; a hearty embrace was displayed between the two fighters at fight's end, with both respectful of the effort put forth by other.

Of course, it was easy for Munguia to be cordial at the end of the 10th and final round. There was little doubt that the house favorite wasn't leaving the ring with his second straight win. The in-ring announcement made it official, as he improves to 18-4 (11KO).

Vargas falls for the first time as a pro, his record dropping to 15-1-1 (8KO).

UNDERCARD

It wasn't exactly a road trip to remember for Canada's Tyler Asselstine, though the featherweight managed to persevere in the evening's co-feature, taking a technical decision over local featherweight Luis Montana.

The bout was cut short after just five full rounds of action, with Asselstine (14-1, 7KO) claiming victory by scores of 49-46 (twice) and 48-47. Montana (6-2, 4KO) suffers his first loss since his second pro fight, snapping a five fight win streak.

Both bouts aired on Cadena Tres in Mexico, and streamed online live on WBCBoxing.tv.

Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board, Yahoo Boxing Ratings Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox