Boxing
Emanuel Navarrete crushes Oscar Valdez with liver shot knockout to retain his WBO junior lightweight world championship
Watch Navarrete vs. Valdez live on ESPN+ (US only)
Emanuel Navarrete kept unleashing damage against Oscar Valdez in their rematch until he was ready to tender the final blow.
It came when Navarrete fired a right uppercut as a distraction, only to pinpoint a left hook to the body for a sixth-round knockout of Valdez on a brutal liver shot.
The resounding KO at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona on Saturday night marked Navarrete's third defense of his WBO junior lightweight world championship. It also ended a savage beatdown that Navarrete doled out to his rival.
After winning their first clash last August via unanimous decision, Navarrete came out firing in the rematch, dropping Valdez in the opening round via a sweeping right hand to the temple.
It only got worse for Valdez from there as he'd taste the canvas for the second time in the fight, when Navarrete used a sharp right hand at the bell of the fourth round.
When it looked like Navarrete was taking his foot off the gas during the fifth round to get his full wind back, "El Vaquero" cranked up a vicious left uppercut late that sent Valdez's mouthpiece flying.
Then, in the sixth, Navarrete detonated that same left uppercut to put Valdez on wobbly legs, before closing out the show with the liver shot KO that Valdez never seen coming. The shot sent Valdez to the canvas in a heap and world of pain, as he couldn't beat the count, thus sealing the latest win by Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KOs).
Here are the key live updates and highlights from Navarrete's electric victory over Valdez.
