In a ten-round saga of non-stop action, the minimumweight division witnessed the rise of a new sovereign. Seniesa Estrada outfoxed her old rival, Yokasta Valle, with a masterclass performance, clinching a unanimous win and securing every accolade in the 105-pound division – an unprecedented feat in the annals of the sport.
The judges unanimously tipped their hats with scores of 97-93.
Right from the start, both gladiators claimed the center of the ringa, but it was Estrada’s offbeat strategies that derailed Valle. An early scuffle left Valle with a souvenir cut above her eye, as Estrada danced around, changing stances and jabbing from afar.
Undeterred, Valle upped her game in the fourth, landing a hook that sent shockwaves through Estrada. Estrada, not to be outdone, shifted gears back to her sniper-like tactics, delivering precise hits and at times, even taunting Valle. Despite Valle’s valiant final-round rally, it fell short of a comeback.
Estrada expressed, “This win feels like a dream. I’ve been on this chase, aiming for the pinnacle, and now, I’ve grasped it. It’s a whirlwind of emotions.”
She continued, “I braced for Valle’s onslaught, her calling card. But I was all set to dismantle her arsenal.”
Estrada also reflected on her rigorous journey, “The road to glory is fraught with trials. I’ve endured my share of knocks and bruises, all with my sights on this moment of triumph.”
Valle responded, “That early clash, it seemed a bit too convenient. It threw a wrench in my plans right from the start.”
Oscar Valdez, with a record of 32 wins and 2 losses, including 24 knockouts, stormed the ring to reclaim his glory. The ex-champ in two divisions put down the Aussie hitter Liam Wilson, who’s got 13 wins, 3 losses, and 7 knockouts to his name, in round seven, snatching the WBO Interim junior lightweight world belt.
Valdez kicked off, sizing up Wilson, then took command with rapid jabs, dodging counters, and aiming left hooks. Wilson tried to maintain a gap, but Valdez dragged him into the fray. Come round six, they went head-to-head, Valdez hammering with left body hooks and right hooks to Wilson’s dome.
By round seven, Valdez had Wilson reeling, unresponsive to the barrage, leading referee Mark Nelson to call it quits at 2:48.
Valdez roared post-fight, “This win’s massive. I’ve silenced the doubters. Folks said I was past it, battered and broken. But I wouldn’t have it. I told Liam, don’t throw in the towel. I’ve been there. Losing’s not the end. He was close to nicking my title. He’s got my respect, and so does his crew.”
Wilson reflected, “That’s the fight game for you. I wanted to play it smart early on, but my guts took over. This is what I’ve wanted since I was a nipper. Time to wise up and box clever. Oscar’s the real deal, hats off to him. It’s just the start for me. I’m not out of the game yet. I’ll bounce back.”
Raymond Muratalla (20-0, 16 KOs) took Xolisani Ndongeni (31-5, 18 KOs) to school for a full 10 rounds, earning himself a unanimous nod with scores that had the crowd nodding in agreement: 99-91, 98-92, and 97-93. Muratalla, the maestro of the ring, conducted a symphony of jabs and hooks, while Ndongeni, tough as an old boot, just couldn’t sing along.
Then there’s Lindolfo Delgado (20-0, 15 KOs), the Mexican maestro who doesn’t rush his performances, ensuring a dramatic finale with Carlos Sanchez (25-3, 19 KOs) biting the dust in the seventh round. Delgado, playing coy in the early acts, turned up the heat with a right hook that sent Sanchez off to dreamland, closing the show at the 48-second mark.
Over in heavyweight territory, Richard Torrez Jr. (9-0, 9 KOs), the American silver giant, kept his knockout garden blooming, plucking Don Haynesworth (18-9-1, 16 KOs) from the fight just over halfway through the first round. Torrez, after a brief dance, unleashed a storm, compelling the ref to step in at 2:19, preserving his pristine KO record.
Middleweight saw Sergio Rodriguez (11-0-1, 8 KOs) of Phoenix duke it out with Sanny Duversonne (12-7-2, 9 KOs) for six rounds of tit-for-tat action. Rodriguez, eager to impress the hometown crowd, found Duversonne a tough nut to crack, with the judges giving Rodriguez the edge, 60-54 and 59-55 twice.
Lightweight brought Emiliano Fernando Vargas (9-0, 7 KOs) toe-to-toe with Nelson Hampton (10-9, 6 KOs) in what turned out to be Vargas’s toughest quiz yet. The young gun passed, albeit with Hampton keeping him honest with counters, leading to a unanimous 60-54 on all cards.
Alan Garcia (12-0, 10 KOs), the fresh Top Rank signee, wasted no time introducing Gonzalo Fuenzalida (12-4, 3 KOs) to the canvas, wrapping up their lightweight tiff in the second round at the 1:58 mark with a neat TKO.
And let’s not forget Art Barrera Jr. (4-0, 4 KOs), the Linwood locomotive, who chugged through Kevin Soto (5-2, 3 KOs) with a left hook that had Soto seeing stars in round two, stopping the clock at 2:17.
Rounding out the junior welterweight jamboree, Ricardo Ruvalcaba (12-0-1, 10 KOs) served Avner Hernandez Molina (4-4) his first taste of the canvas with a fifth-round TKO, calling it a day at 1:44.
