Rafael Espinoza Delivers Impressive Win Friday

Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza of Guadalajara (25-0, 21 KOs) proved his 2023 Upset of the Year win over Robiesy Ramirez was not a fluke on Friday.

Espinoza made the first defense of the WBO World Featherweight title he won by defeating Ramirez with a thorough beatdown against outgunned Mexican countryman Sergio Chirino of Oaxaca (22-2, 13 KOs) at the BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas. Espinoza scored four knockdowns before referee Eddie Claudio finally called it a night for Chirino at 2:45 of the fourth round.

Rafael Espinoza landed 101 punches to just 34 for Sergio Chirino. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

“I think the difference is my hunger, my desire to be the best. I prove it inside the gym, and it’s reflected her inside the ring,” said Espinoza, whose smile never left his face the entire week leading up to the victory.

“I’m going to be honest, I came in with a game plan to use my range, fight from the outside. But I love to fight, I love to give these fans a show. I don’t like to take a step back. This is what you get,” said a slightly sheepish Espinoza. Trainer Manny Robles will surely give him a gentle chiding when he returns to training after a rest.

Rafael Espinoza landed his left hook nearly at will. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Espinoza dropped Chirino with a delicious left hook counterpunch to the head two minutes into the fight. Chirino was under the gun for the rest of the fight. Espinoza caught Chirino again at the end of the third round with a wicked right uppercut and left hook to the body combination.

There was nowhere to hide for Chirino. After two more knockdowns in the fourth round, Chirino looked like a badly wounded animal. Chirino did his best, but he lacked experience against an opponent of the quality delivered by Espinoza. He left the ring without comment.

According to CompuBox, Espinoza landed 101 of 283 punches through (36%), against just 34 of 153 for Chirino (22%). Espinoza landed more punches in the fourth round alone than Chirino landed the entire fight. Espinoza landed 16 body punches, to just four for the outgunned Chirino.

Rafael Espinoza Intends to Hunt Down More Titles

Rafael Espinoza celebrated his win the many Mexican fans who came to watch him. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Espinoza now has plenty of options. “This is my time, this is “El Divino’s” time. I want to unify all the belts.,” said Espinoza. With both Robiesy Ramirez and rising talent Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington watching ringside, Espinoza was asked about both men.

“I saw both of them. I dabbed them up and gave them my best regards. These are the fights that all three of us want. All three will be great fights, I hope they end up happening,” said Espinoza.

“This was my dream. I wanted to put on a show like this for the fans. I did this for them. I think they’re all going to leave happy,” said Espinoza, who promised to be outside taking photos with every fan who wanted one. As you’re reading this, Espinoza might still be smiling and posing.

Abraham Nova Victory Stolen By Judges and Given to Andres Cortes

Abraham Nova seemed the clear winner over Andres Cortes, but the judges saw something different. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

The fight between junior lightweights Andres “Savage” Cortes of Las Vegas (22-0, 12 KOs) and Abraham “El Super” Nova of Albany, New York (23-3, 16 KOs) was a make-or-break battle for both men, for different reasons. Cortes hoped to continue on the path toward a title fight, while Nova hoped to get back into the win column and restore his relevance.

Observers, including me, were certain that Nova’s determination and work rate earned him a victory. But the judges disagreed, giving the decision to Cortes by scores of 97-93, 97-93, and 96-94. Boxing Twitter erupted in outrage, and Nova commented after the fight that the analysts thought he had won.

“I thought I was up 6-4, 7-3. This is boxing. This is what happens,” shrugged Nova. “All I got to do is get back to the drawing board. I’ll be back. I’m a true competitor.”

Andres Cortes missed weight and seemed to run out of steam in the later rounds. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Nova said in hindsight, he might have prevailed if he boxed Cortes instead of going to way with him, but added “I did good at both ends of the stick.” Nova landed 196 of 783 punches (25%), against 172 of 497 for Cortes (35%).

“There are little things I’ve got to tune up, but no excuses. I dug deep and got the victory,” said Cortes.

Cortes missed weight by over a pound. It seemed to render him sluggish, especially in the second half of the fight with Nova seeming to pull away with ease. Nova and his mascot Supernova didn’t deserve to go home empty-handed Friday.

Hard Work Pays Off For Troy Isley

Troy Isley stuck Javier Martinez with his first professional loss. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

It was a mess of a middleweight contest littered with low blows and bad attitudes between Troy “The Transformer” Isley of Alexandria, Virginia (13-0, 5 KOs) and Javier “Milwaukee Made” Martinez (10-1-1, 3 KOs) with the vacant NABO title on the line. Isley came away with the decision by scores of 97-91, 97-91, and 96-92.

Isley and Martinez were well acquainted, having split four fights between them as amateurs. The fight devolved into fouls, putting referee Tony Weeks in a foul mood.

After multiple warnings, Weeks took a point from Martinez in the seventh round, and Isley in the ninth round, telling both men they were at risk of disqualification. They settled down enough to make it to the final bell.

The work Isley put in sparring with Terence “Bud” Crawford in Brian McIntyre’s gym paid off. It made a visible difference in his activity rate, securing his winning performance.

Undercard Winners: Diaz, Zamora, Navarro

Middleweight Floyd “Cash Flow” Diaz delivered a win. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Bantamweight Floyd “Cash Flow” Diaz of Las Vegas (12-0, 3 KOs) scored a unanimous decision win over Francisco Pedroza of Tijuana, Mexico (18-12-2, 10 KOs). All three scorecards read 78-3 for Diaz, who is also trained by Brian McIntyre.

DJ Zamora had a successful debut in his first bout for Top Rank. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Junior lightweight DJ Zamora III of Las Vegas (13-0, 9 KOs) defeated Jose Antonio Meza of Torreon, Mexico (9-10, 2 KOs). Scores for the eight-round decision were a near shutout at 80-72, 80-72, and 79-73.

Steven Navarro shows tremendous potential at age 20. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank

Junior bantamweight Steven Navarro of Los Angeles (2-0, 1 KO) is already generating buzz with his impressive skillset. Just 20 years old, his offensive toolkit lets him put together creative, effective combination punching from angles and varying levels. He got in solid work against Juan Pablo Meza of Santiago, Chile (7-4, 2 KOs), determined not to be dropped or stopped.

It’s exactly what Navarro needs at this stage. His defense needs improvement, and when he’s able to land with a bit more power, he will present a serious challenge to any opponent.