By Dave Spencer

It’s one thing to have been knocking on the door, suffer a setback, and having to regroup, but for undefeated super-featherweight Logan McGuinness (25-0-1 12KO), he’s been forced to the back of the line never having lost a fight thanks to injuries, management problems and in activity of the past couple of years.

With those issues now in the rear-view mirror, the 29-year-old Canadian hopes to once again begin his ascent to the top starting with his headline performance versus Horacio Cabral Saturday March 18 at the Powerade Centre in Brampton, Ontario. Cabral from Argentina sports an impressive 16-1 mark and goes on the road for the first time in his five year career.

McGuinness shot to attention in 2011 with a TKO win versus former Olympian and world title challenger Benoit Gaudet and has been ranked as high as #4 by the WBA as recently as 2015.

After an absence of more than a year, McGuinness returned late last year to post two definitive knockout victories to prove he picked up where he left off that has current promoter Lee Baxter eager to move forward.

“This is a real fight, this isn’t a cakewalk to pad Logan’s record,” said Baxter via press release. “The winner of this fight can start thinking about title eliminators and world title shots.”

The card that brings McGuinness back to hometown Ontario fans for the first time in two years is an ambitious one by Baxter and features seven stong bouts including a women’s world title bout between local super-featherweight Sandy Tsagouris and Carla Torres of Cleveland Ohio.

Despite a rather pedestrian 5-4 record, Torres has been able to bring it for big fights in the past. In her only previous trip to Canada, she managed to beat hometown fighter Olivia Gerula for WIBA featherweight belt. In her only other title appearance, she handed previously undefeated Ronica Jeffrey (13-0) her first loss and captured the WIBA world title. Tsagouris (15-2) whose only defeats have come on the road in Germany and Korea in title has now rattled off five wins in a row is more than ready to fight for the vacant WIBA crown.

“It’s one of the truly rare moments in boxing when a fighter wins a world title in their hometown,” said Baxter. “In terms of Toronto, it’s never happened before.”

Also featured on the card will be the return of Sam Vargas. Fresh of his national television appearance going seven rounds with Danny Garcia, Vargas (25-3-1 13KO) hopes to reload and rebuild immediately versus Mexican Armando Robbles (31-5-2 18KO). Vargas sandwiched five wins between losses to Garcia and Errol Spence and hopes that the experience of going against the best the division has to offer will propel him to greater heights starting next Saturday.

“You can make a case that Sammy has faced the two best welterweights in the world already,” said his promoter Baxter, “He’s learned from his experiences against the best in the world and has improved as a result.”

Also on the card will super-lightweight Steven Wilcox who is coming off a split-decision road loss after travelling to Mexico in December. Wilcox (15-2-1 5KO) will face Jose Luis Rodriguez (21-13-1 3KO).

Undefeated super-bantamweight Marc Pagcaliwangan (9-0-1) also returns to Toronto for the first in a year to see action against Emmanuel Villamar (8-1 1KO) in a four rounder. Pagcaliwangan abandoned his Toronto a base a year ago to hit the gyms of Las Vegas and California in hopes of improving his craft with the likes of Robert Garcia. Local fans will be anxious to see the result of over a year of boot camp for ‘Gwapo’ who already holds seven KO’s in his nine victories.

Other bouts feature welterweight Kane Heron against Gregory Terenel of France and Namah Daghir versus Kimmy St Pierre super-lightweight action

Tickets for the March 18 card at Brampton’s Powerade Centre begin at $35 and are available through Ticketmaster.