Emanuel Navarrete overwhelmed Oscar Valdez throughout their rematch Saturday night time.
An correct, aggressive Navarrete impressed in his return to the 130-pound division by battering Valdez to this head and physique in the principle occasion of a 10-fight card at Footprint Heart in Phoenix. Navarrete dropped Valdez in the course of the first, fourth and sixth rounds and have become the primary opponent to cease the previous two-division champion inside the gap.
Navarette’s left to Valdez’s physique dropped him for the third time with 30 seconds on the clock within the sixth spherical. Referee Raul Caiz Jr. counted him out at 2:42 of the sixth spherical.
Mexico’s Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs) retained the WBO junior light-weight title by battering the ever-brave Valdez into submission. Navarrete revived his profession following a 12-round break up factors loss to Ukraine’s Denys Berinchyk in his earlier combat, which was contested within the 135-pound division, and a 12-round majority draw with Brazil’s Robson Conceicao within the 12-round, 130-pound championship bout earlier than Berinchyk beat him.
Valdez (32-3, 24 KOs) misplaced by knockout for the primary time in his 12-year, 35-fight skilled profession. The 2-time Mexican Olympian’s solely losses previous to Saturday night time had been 12-round unanimous factors defeats to Navarette in August 2023 and Shakur Stevenson in April 2022.
The 34-year-old Valdez was close to tears when he apologized to his followers who traveled from Mexico to look at their rematch in particular person.
“We tried to get the victory,” Valdez advised ESPN’s Bernardo Osuna within the ring. “We actually wished it. We educated very laborious for this. I’d wish to say I’m sorry for all these individuals who got here right here to see me from in all places, from Sonora, from Nogales, from Phoenix. … I want I may’ve gotten a greater outcome. Thanks for coming right here to assist. Perhaps subsequent time.”
Valdez twisted his proper ankle when he went down from a first-round knockdown. He admitted afterward, although, that Navarrete was rather more the rationale for his TKO loss.
“We slipped, fell, and kinda tousled my ankle,” Valdez mentioned. “However that’s no excuse. [Navarrete] is a superb champion. I take my hat off to him.”
Navarrete acknowledged their second combat wasn’t as straightforward as it would look traditionally on boxrec.com.
“Look, Oscar Valdez was extraordinarily sturdy on this combat,” Navarrete mentioned. “And he saved coming ahead, so what I needed to do was cease him in his tracks and push him backward. As a result of for those who let Valdez come at you, coming downhill, then it’s gonna be an extended night time.”
The start of the top Saturday night time got here when one other vicious left uppercut by Navarrete knocked Valdez into the ropes with about 1:20 to go within the sixth spherical. Valdez tried to combat again, however Navarrete nailed him with the abovementioned left to the physique that abruptly halted the motion.
Navarrete’s violent assault continued in the course of the fifth spherical. The champion caught Valdez with numerous punishing punches in these three minutes, punctuated by a crushing left uppercut that knocked Valdez’s mouthpiece to the canvas with a number of seconds to go within the fifth spherical.
A left hook by Navarrete knocked Valdez off steadiness and right into a nook with simply over 1:40 to go within the fourth spherical. Valdez stabilized himself earlier than he went down and tried his greatest to make the rest of the fourth spherical aggressive.
Simply earlier than the bell sounded to finish the fourth spherical, nonetheless, Navarrete landed a number of proper arms on a retreating Valdez, who fell to the canvas for the second time of their bout.
After struggling a knockdown in the course of the second spherical, Valdez valiantly went toe-to-toe with Navarrete and linked along with his justifiable share of flush punches that helped him stunt Navarrete’s momentum briefly. The taller, heavier, stronger Navarrete landed a proper hand to a susceptible Valdez’s temple that knocked him to his gloves and knees with 25 seconds to go within the first spherical. Navarrete regarded rather more efficient as quickly as this rematch started than he did throughout his loss to Berinchyk.
