WBO World Featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza in his first defense, stopped No. 2 ranked Sergio Chirino in the fourth round on Friday night at the Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
(Photo credit Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
In the co-feature, WBO Inter-Continental Super Featherweight champion Andres ‘Savage’ Cortes won a disputed decision over Abraham ‘El Super’ Nova for the vacant NABO Junior Lightweight title.
In the Main Event WBO World Feather champ, the much taller Rafael Espinoza, 25-0 (21), stopped No. 2 ranked Sergio Chirino, 22-2 (13), at 2:45 of the fourth round 12 rounds.
Espinoza chased Chirino around the ring in the first round, easily taking it and dropping him for an 8-count from Referee Raul Caiz, Jr. in the final seconds. In the second rounds final seconds a right followed by a left to the body and down went Chirino for an 8-count from Referee Caiz, Jr.
In the fourth round’s final seconds, a right uppercut from Espinoza dropped Chirino, causing Referee Caiz, Jr. to call a halt.
In the co-feature, WBO No. 2 ranked Andres Cortes, 22-0 (12), won a disputed decision over Abraham ‘El Super’ Nova, 23-3 (16) 10 rounds, for the vacant NABO Junior Lightweight title.
In the first two rounds, Nova had a slight edge. In the third round, Nova continued out-landing Cortes. In the fourth round, Cortes became more aggressive, having a good round.
In the fifth and sixth rounds, Cortes worked the body well. In the eighth round, Nova had a good round going to the body.
In the ninth round, Nova had his best of the fight, taking it to Cortes and driving him to the ropes. In the tenth and final round Nova seemed to pull it out but you never know in Vegas.
The Scores were 97-93 twice and 96-94 Cortes with 96-94 Nova KH. The referee was Robert Hoyle.
2021 Olympian Troy Isley, 13-0 (5), defeated southpaw Javier Martinez, 10-1-1 (3), for the vacant NABO Middle title over 10 foul-filled rounds at times.
In the first round, Martinez used an effective jab from the southpaw. In the final seconds, Isley drove Martinez into a corner. They split in four amateur fights, knowing each other well. In the second round, Isley out-landed Martinez for the most part.
Referee Tony Weeks warned Isley in the third round for a low blow. Isley came back well. In the fourth round, once again, Isley was warned for a low blow, though he controlled the fight for the most part.
In the sixth round, Martinez came back well until the final seconds, when Isley landed a solid right on the chin, possibly stealing the round. In the seventh round, referee Weeks seemed to allow Isley to only get warned for low blows without taking a point.
In the eighth round, Martinez got revenge with a low blow. The action continued the rest of the round. In the ninth round, after twenty seconds, Referee Weeks finally takes away a point from Isley. Martinez finished the stronger of the two.
In the tenth and final round, Isley outworked Martinez with bodywork that was sometimes low, but both did borderline work.
Scores were 97-91 twice and 96-92.
Bantam Floyd ‘Cashflow’ Diaz, 12-0 (3), defeated Francisco Pedroza, 18-12-2 (10) over 8 solid rounds.
In the first two rounds final minutes, Diaz, whose better hand speed allows him to outland Pedroza.
In the final minute of the fourth round, Diaz landed several rights on the chin. Pedroza came back with a right of his own. In the final seconds, Diaz, landing a right, drove Pedroza back several steps toward the ropes.
Pedroza was countering well in the fifth round, but Diaz got the first punch in every time. Referee Mike Ortega took a point from Pedroza for hitting on the break in the sixth round.
This made Pedroza more aggressive, trying to make up for the point loss.
In the seventh round, Diaz landed good left hooks with Pedroza hanging in there, landing his share of punches. In the eighth and final round, it turned out to be all action until the final minute when Pedroza started moving away and not mixing it up, giving Diaz the round.
The Scores were 78-73 by all three judges.
Super Feather southpaw Demier Zamora, lll, 13-0 (9) defeated Jose “Pepao’ Antonio Meza, 9-9-1nc (2), over 8 solid rounds.
In the first two rounds, southpaw Zamora kept up the pressure, outworking Meza. Coming from Filipino heritage, Zamora seemed like a natural, like many from the islands.
Meza finally started landing some punches in the third round while Zamora had an edge.
In the fourth and fifth rounds, Zamora outworked Meza, but his face started swelling under both eyes from Meza’s lead rights.
In the seventh round, the left side of Meza’s face was well-marked by combinations from Zamora, and Meza countered well at times. In the eighth and final round, both had their moments, with Zamora pitching a shutout.
The Referee was Raul Caiz, Jr. The scores were 80-72 twice and 79-73.
Super Fly southpaw Steven Navarro, 2-0 (1), defeated Juan Pablo Meza, 7-4 (2), over 6 action rounds.
In the first round, both fighters threw bombs. Navarro suffered swelling outside his left eye from rights by Meza. This was the second fight for Navarro, both six-rounders.
In the second round, the action continued with southpaw Navarro coming back with uppercuts and Meza right there firing back but getting out landed.
In the third round, Navarro switched on occasions to orthodox with both landing punches, few slipping any. Another Navarro round. In the fourth round, little between each in another slugfest.
In the fifth rounds final minute Navarro landed half a dozen punches without return from Meza. In the sixth and final round Navarro had Meza’s mouth bleeding and swelling under his left eye in the first minute fighting orthodox.
The fight action never slowed down, and both fighters gave the fans their money’s worth. Referee Robert Hoyle had an easy night.
The Scores were all 60-54.
Middle southpaw Bryan ‘The Hunter’ Polaco, 7-0 (5), stopped Richard Acevedo, 6-1-1 (5), at 2:51 of the third round, dropping him three times of a scheduled 6 rounds.
In the second round, with twenty seconds remaining, the taller southpaw Polaco dropped Acevedo with a left on the chin, dropping him for an 8-count from Referee Mike Ortega.
Twenty seconds into the third round, Polaco dropped Acevedo with a lead left on the chin for an 8-count by Referee Ortega.
After a minute of the round again, Polaco dropped Acevedo with a left on the chin. Acevedo had a bruise under his left eye. Polaco determined for a stoppage and kept on the pressure before Referee Ortega finally called a halt in the final ten seconds of the mismatch.
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