Miguel Berchelt proved himself to be a world champion when he upset Francisco Vargas two years ago.

Mexico’s World Boxing Council super-featherweight champion will now elevate to a greater stage in a March 23 rematch against Vargas at the Forum, a meeting that could promote Berchelt toward the prominence his power punching and nationality can provide him.

ESPN will televise the bout, Top Rank President Todd duBoef said.

The 27-year-old Berchelt (35-1, 31 knockouts) has successfully defended his belt four times since upsetting Vargas (25-1-2, 18 KOs) by 11th-round knockout at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio.


Vargas was coming off back-to-back fights of the year against Takashi Miura and Orlando Salido when he took the Berchelt fight. Berchelt opened old wounds to badly bloody Vargas before the finish came.

Victory in the rematch could lift Berchelt either toward a unification in his division against World Boxing Organization champion Masayuki Ito or a move to lightweight. There, Berchelt’s American promoter Bob Arum has said he’d like to see Berchelt one day fight two-belt 135-pound champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Berchelt, from Cancun, has the potential with his knockout ability to attract the fervent fight fans from his home country. In November, Berchelt flashed that power by scoring a ninth-round technical knockout over countryman Mickey Roman in El Paso, Texas.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com


Twitter: @latimespugmire