Boxing
Emanuel Navarrete defeats Oscar Valdez and defends his WBO crown in Arizona
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Emanuel Navarrete retained his WBO super featherweight title with a unanimous decision win over former two-weight world champion Oscar Valdez on Saturday night in Glendale, Arizona.
"I'm very happy to have been part of this very special fight. It was an aggressive and tough fight, my respects to Valdez because he takes a lot of punishment. I'm very happy. I hope they can see it as a great fight. I'm happy to have beaten Valdez tonight," Navarrete said as he stepped out of the ring.
With a much longer reach and more power in his punches, Navarrete showcased off his unorthodox skills.
He prevailed thanks to the physical strength and pressure he exerted on his opponent, and despite landing just 21% of the 1038 punches thrown, there were signs of damage on Valdez's right cheekbone.
A minor right-hand injury forced Navarrete to slow down in the middle rounds, but every time he felt pressure from Valdez, he responded in order to keep control of the contest on the judges' scorecards.
