Orlando Salido yearns for junior featherweight title war against Francisco Vargas

HBO Boxing isn't off to a great 2016.

Sure, only one show has been televised by the network, but those two fights Saturday did nothing to excite fans. Dmitry Mikhaylenko, who was unimpressive in his HBO debut, lulled the crowd to sleep with a near-shutout victory over Karim Mayfield. Sergey Kovalev once again blasted out Jean Pascal in a rematch no one - besides Pascal - was asking for.

But there is a fight that would guarantee action for HBO's subscribers: a junior featherweight title clash between WBC champion Francisco Vargas and veteran brawler Orlando Salido.

"Vargas proved that he is a great warrior last November when he won the championship," said Salido, 35, who owns a victory over Vasyl Lomachenko. "Everyone knows that I am also a warrior and a fight between us will give the fans one of the best action fights they can hope for. I'm ready to go."

Salido (43-13-3, 30 KOs) is coming off two consecutive fights with Roman Martinez, both of which ranked among the best fights of 2015. Salido lost the first bout, and they battled to a draw in the second meeting, though most observers felt Salido earned the nod.

Sean Gibbons, who manages the former two-division champion, would love to get a deal done with Vargas's promoter, Golden Boy, for a May date in Los Angeles, possibly at fight cathedral StubHub Center.

"We are turning up the heat on Peter Nelson. This fight screams HBO Boxing After Dark," Gibbons, who says promoters Golden Boy and Zanfer are on board for the bout, told Paste BN Sports in a text message. "Oscar (De La Hoya) says he wants to give the fans the fights they want and this is it. This has fight of the year written all over it."

Indeed, this fight would deliver can't miss action. Vargas (23-0-1, 17 KOs) got off the canvas to stop Takashi Miura and win the title in November in Paste BN's fight of the year. Salido is one of the sport's great action stars, and the Mexicans would surely make beautiful music in the ring.

We aren't getting Martinez-Salido 3, as anticipated, but you know what? We just might get something a lot better.

(Photo of Salido, top, by Soobum Im-Paste BN Sports)