Emanuel Navarrete emphatically defended his WBO super featherweight title against Oscar Valdez, scoring a sixth round knockout in their rematch in Phoenix on Saturday.
The pair first met in August last year, and although it was a competitive enough contest, Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) won with a bit to spare on the cards, but was coming a split decision loss to WBO lightweight titlist, Denys Berinchyk. Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs) took the WBO interim belt last time, stopping Liam Wilson in March.
Valdez was unable to make the necessary adjustments to win here, and the opening round saw him on the deck, caught by a sweeping right hand as he came in.
The 33-year-old was down again at the end of the fourth, as a stiff right hand from shook him up, and a follow-up attack left him on the canvas for a second time.
The end wasn’t long in coming, and after a dominant fifth round for Navarrete, he found a vicious left hand to the body in round six that folded the challenger, and had him gasping for air, unable to beat the referee’s count.
Three-weight world champion, Navarrete could now target a unification clash with WBC titlist, O’Shaquie Foster.
Espinoza beats Ramirez again
Another unable to gain revenge in a rematch was Robeisy Ramirez, suffering a sixth round stoppage win.
Ramirez (14-3, 9 KOs) shipped his WBO featherweight crown to Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs) last December by majority decision and was defeated in more conclusive fashion this time around.
It was a facile ending, with Ramirez effectively pulling himself out of the fight.
Remaining Undercard
In ten rounders, Lindolfo Delgado (22-0, 16 KOs) took a fifth round win against Jackson Marinez (22-4, 10 KOs) to defend the WBO Latino super lightweight title, and at welterweight, Giovanni Santillan (33-1, 18 KOs) took an early win against Fredrick Lawson (30-6, 22 KOs), who retired after the opener.
In eight round action, hard-hitting heavyweight Richard Torrez Jr (12-0, 11 KOs) recorded a third round win against Isaac Munoz Gutierrez (18-2-1, 15 KOs), and Demler Zamora (15-0, 10 KOs) won in two rounds at super featherweight against Roman Ruben Reynoso (22-6-2, 10 KOs).
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Also at super featherweight, Albert Gonzalez (12-0, 7 KOs) took a wide points win over Gerardo Antonio Perez (12-7-1, 3 KOs).
In the six rounders, Art Barrera Jr (7-0, 5 KOs) won in the second round against Juan Carlos Campos Medina (4-2, 3 KOs) at welterweight, and at super flyweight, Steven Navarro (5-0, 3 KOs) did the same against Gabriel Bernardi Cruz (7-2, 3 KOs).
Kevin Mosquera (3-0, 1 KO) won via majority decision over four against debutant Cesar Morales (0-1) in their lightweight clash.
