Emanuel Navarrete knocks out Oscar Valdez in title rematch

Emanuel Navarrete beat Oscar Valdez three times en route to a sixth-round knockout victory in a rematch for the WBO lightweight title on Saturday in Phoenix.

Navarrete (39-2-1, 31 KOs) comprehensively beat Valdez 16 months after one-sidedly outsmarting him. Given the non-competitive nature of the meeting between the Mexican brawlers in August 2023, it was surprising that Top Rank decided to scale back the game.

This time, Navarrete defeated Valdez in a much easier fashion, and that was clear from the opening bell. There were no knockdowns in the first fight, but Navarrete knocked Valdez to the canvas with a combination in the final seconds of the first round.

Navarrete, 29, did so again in the final moments of the fourth round, fueled by a right hand punch. In the following round, Navarrete sent Valdez’s mouthpiece flying with a left uppercut. Valdez (32-3, 24 KOs) simply had no answer to Navarrete’s scary angles and volume punches.

A well-placed liver shot from Navarrete dropped Valdez one final time in round 6 for a total of 10 and the finish was 2:42. Navarrete was leading 50-43, 49-44 and 49-44 at the time of the stoppage.

“I told everyone beforehand that I would have a new left hand,” Navarrate said in translated remarks, a reference to the hand that was surgically repaired in December 2023. “And that’s exactly what happened. It felt really good. We are now starting a second stage of my career and I plan to take advantage of it.

Navarrete won titles at 122 and 126 pounds before also becoming champion at 130 pounds. After defeating Valdez last summer, Navarrete struggled through two fights. Firstly, there was a draw against Robson Conceicao last November. Then Navarrete moved up to 135 pounds and was outclassed by Denys Berinchyk in a lightweight title fight in May. But now he looks rejuvenated.

“I can do a lot of good things at 130 pounds,” said Navarrete, ESPN’s No. 1 junior lightweight. “At least one or two more fights. And then we’ll see at 135.”

Valdez, 33, faces a far less certain future. The two-time Olympian has just two wins in his last five fights.

“We tried,” said Valdez, a former two-division champion. “That’s the most important thing. …I wish it was a better result. Maybe next time. No excuses from me. He beat me well.”

Valdez added: “It’s the same old ‘Vaquero.'” He throws awkward shots. You don’t see them coming.

Espinoza defeats Ramirez again

In the ESPN co-feature, Mexico’s Rafael Espinoza scored a sixth-round TKO victory over Robeisy Ramirez and defended his WBO featherweight title in another rematch.

Espinoza (26-0, 22 KOs) landed a sharp right hand punch in the opening seconds of the sixth round, and moments later Ramirez (14-3, 9 KOs) walked away, signaling he was done fighting . Twelve seconds into the round, the referee stopped the fight without a count as Ramirez blinked and examined his swollen right eye.

Ramirez suffered a fractured right orbital bone, Top Rank spokesman Evan Korn told ESPN. He was examined at Banner University Medical Center and it is possible that Ramirez will require surgery.

“He elbowed me twice in the fourth round,” Ramirez, 30, said in remarks translated by Bernardo Osuna of ESPN. “That’s when I started seeing double. I told the referee. He did his job. He scolded him, but the damage was already done.”

Ramirez added: “I think ending the fight was the best decision. I did this rather than take more beating, especially because I have double vision and couldn’t do my best. This is the best decision I have to make. Take care of my health.”

When they met in December 2023, Espinoza scored a 12th-round knockdown to secure the decisive victory in a thrilling fight that was named ESPN’s Upset of the Year.

A year later, Espinoza is hard to miss, a lanky, 6-foot-3, 126-pounder who throws hard shots from all angles. The 30-year-old entered the fight ranked No. 2 in the Featherweight division by ESPN. Cuban Ramirez, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, was No. 7.

“Obviously I got him,” Espinoza said. “I’ve just started. Honestly, I think the pressure and the remaining rounds would be very difficult for him. That means he felt my power. He felt my hand. Maybe he thought he wouldn’t be.” I could handle it. But it happened.

Espinoza added: “I said it from the beginning. I want to be a legend. I want to be a great Mexican boxer. I want to fight against everyone. I want people to know that I’m here to give them great fights.”