Undefeated WBO featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) made it look straightforward in a voluntary protection of his title by obliterating Sergio Chirino (22-2, 13 KOs) by a fourth-round knockout on Friday evening on the BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
The tall, stork-like Espinoza caught an excessively aggressive Chirino with a brief left uppercut in spherical one to knock him down.
In spherical three, Espinoza, 30, caught Chirino with a right-hand physique shot that put him down late within the spherical.
The ultimate knockdown got here within the fourth when Espinoza caught Chirino with a collection of uppercuts that put him down. The referee then stopped the combat at 2:45 of the fourth.
Espinoza’s strain, excessive work charge, uppercuts, and physique photographs proved to be an excessive amount of for Chirino.
Greater than something, I feel the uppercuts have been an excessive amount of for Chirino as a result of he left himself open for them by loading up on lengthy right-hand energy photographs. Nevertheless, even the opposite punches that Espinoza was throwing gave Chirino enormous issues all through the brief four-round contest.
Espinoza expressed curiosity in preventing a rematch towards Robeisy Ramirez within the post-fight interview.
The 2-time Olympic gold medalist from Cuba, Robeisy, had misplaced his WBO 126-lb title to Espinoza final December by a 12-round majority resolution in a aggressive combat. Robeisy had Espinoza down within the combat within the fifth however couldn’t put him away.
Andres Cortes Defeats Abraham Nova
Within the chief assist bout, hometown fighter, tremendous featherweight Andres Cortes (22-0, 12 KOs) gained a disturbingly controversial ten-round unanimous resolution towards Abraham Nova (23-3, 16 KOs).
The combat was a textbook instance of a complete theft, as Nova dominated an out-of-shape-looking Cortes, showing to win the final seven rounds after getting off to a poor begin within the first three rounds.
Nova pressured Cortes nonstop from the fourth spherical on, throwing twice as many punches than him and forcing him to carry because of the quick tempo. The scores have been 97-93, 97-93, 96-94. I had it 7-3 for Nova.
Cortes threw a number of rabbit punches all through the combat with out the referee warning or deducting factors It’s unclear how the ref didn’t take discover of the rabbit photographs as a result of they have been incessant and a giant a part of Cortes’ sport on the within.
“I began a bit sluggish. However then I acquired my rhythm. I went in there, and I did what I needed to do. He hit me rather a lot behind the pinnacle,” stated Nova after the combat.
Troy Isley Beats Javier Martinez
Middleweight Troy Isley (13-0, 5 KOs) beat Javier Martinez (10-1-1, 3 KOs) by a 10-rounder in a contest stuffed with low blows by each guys. Each landed frequent photographs beneath the belt, making referee Tony Weeks earn his pay tonight. Martinez misplaced a degree within the seventh, and Isley was docked a degree in spherical 9.
The scores have been 97-91, 97-91, 96-92. Neither fighter regarded significantly spectacular, however Isley was rather less dangerous.
Floyd Diaz Beats Francisco Pedroza
Undefeated bantamweight Floyd “Money Circulation” Diaz (12-0, 3 KOs) had a surprisingly powerful combat towards journeyman Francisco Pedroza (18-12-2, 10 KOs), needing to battle exhausting to beat him by an eight-round unanimous resolution. The scores have been 78-73 3, 78-73 and 78-73. Each fighters have been damage within the contest.
