Emanuel Navarrete became unified super featherweight champion, as he added the IBF title to his WBO belt with a penultimate-round stoppage of Eduardo ‘Sugar’ Nunez on Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Heavy-handed Navarrete (40-2-1, 33 KOs) had previously served as WBO champion at three different weights, but failed in a bid for a WBO lightweight title and a belt in a fourth different weight class, as he dropped a split decision to Denys Berinchyk. Nunez (29-2, 27 KOs) had to get off the canvas in round seven before taking a wide points win in a first defence against Christopher Diaz.
Nunez began by using his boxing skills rather than trading, and he used movement to make his compatriot miss in the first round.
Navarrete adjusted quickly, closing the gap, with an uppercut on the end of a flurry from wobbling Nunez towards the end of the round.
Most were expecting ’Sugar’ to come out firing, but he was preferring to box, and worked off his jab in the fourth
The 28-year-old then decided to change it up in the fifth, and fought fire with fire, as Navarrete ripped in some terrific body shots and a big right hand in the sixth.
Nunez was inching his way into the argument, but was having to take some heavy fire from his opponent, and he bravely worked well in the eighth, closing the gap and going to the body.
‘Vaquero’ connected with a superb left hand in the ninth, and a massive right followed by an uppercut had Nunez all at sea, his eye closed shut from damage.
The Sinaloa native was buckled once again from a left hook as the writing seemed on the wall.
Nunez was now wilting under the pressure, and after a punishing 10th, his promoter Eddie Hearn implored the fight to be stopped, and the ringside doctor was called to check on his eye.
He recommended the contest be stopped, and the fight was over, crowning Navarrete unified champion.
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Vargas stops Quintana
On the undercard, Emiliano Vargas defended his WBO Latino and NABF super lightweight titles, as he forced Argentina’s Agustin Ezequiel Quintana to retire after nine rounds of battle.
Quintana (22-3-1, 13 KOs) gave Vargas (17-0, 14 KOs) all he could handle, but was cut above both eyes and referee Raul Caiz Jr waved the bout off, much to the protestations of the Argentine.
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Smalls beaten by Ramos
Tahmir Smalls suffered defeat for the first time as a professional, as he slipped to a split decision loss to Abel Ramos in their welterweight meeting.
Ramos (29-7-3, 22 KOs) took a deserved win by scores of 98-92 and 97-93, while a third judge gave Smalls (16-1, 11 KOs) a barely-deserved 96-94 nod.
Remaining Undercard
WBC Continental Americas super bantamweight champion, Arturo Cardenas (17-0-2, 9 KOs) defended his title, but was held to a draw over ten rounds by Jordan Martinez, who also remained unbeaten.
Martinez (16-0-1, 15 KOs) received a 98-92 verdict, there was one tally of 96-94 for Cardenas, and the third judge ruled the bout a 95-95 draw.
The sole eight-rounder came at super lightweight, where Trini Ochoa (21-1, 9 KOs) was upset by Oscar Alvarez Guerrero.
Guerrero (15-2, 12 KOs) ran out a handy winner on the card, by two scores of 78-74, and a third at 79-73.
In six-rounders, Hector Beltran (7-0, 5 KOs) took all six sessions against Cesar Diaz (10-2, 5 KOs) at super welterweight, and at bantamweight, Phillip Vela (5-0, 2 KOs) did the same against Brayan Ramos Armenta (8-8-1, 2 KOs).
In a welterweight four-rounder, Rahman Muhammad (2-0, 2 KOs) was a second-round stoppage winner against Mitchell McFadden (1-1, 1 KO).
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