Emmanuel Navarrete outslugs Oscar Valdez to retain junior lightweight crown in throwback Mexican battle
CBSN
The pair of Mexican warriors delivered one of the best fights of the year in their 12 rounds of action
Boxing fans who were hoping for a classic all-Mexican war when Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez clashed on Saturday night were not disappointed. Both men battled through injuries while trading big shots for all 12 rounds until Navarrete escaped with a unanimous decision to retain his WBO junior lightweight title in one of the best fights of 2023.
Navarrete controlled the early rounds mostly off the strength of his jab, using that shot to open up power shots. Valdez remained the tighter boxer, looking to pick his spots to unload with his trademark left hook. That set for a tense game of chess with Navarrete looking to do work while avoiding those dangerous bombs from Valdez.
In Round 4, Valdez started to turn things his way, throwing pinpoint power shots and landing cleanly to Navarrete's chin. As the tide seemed to be turning in Valdez's direction, Navarrete responded by upping his overall output in the seventh round, throwing and landing more punches than he had in any round prior to wrestle control of the fight back.
