Rolando “Rolly” Romero Claims Upset Win Over Ryan Garcia

Posted on May 3, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Rolando “Rolly” Romero is officially a disruptor…

The 29-year-old Latino professional boxer pulled off a massive upset in Times Square on Friday of Ryan Garcia by unanimous decision (115-112, 115-112, 118-109).

In the main event, Garcia’s return to boxing after a one-year suspension for failing a drug test after his April 2024 fight with Devin Haney was a disaster.

Garcia (24-2, 1 NC) entered the fight as a -1000 favorite on ESPN BET. However, he wasn’t able to uncork his trademark left hook or mount any significant offense in the 12-round affair.

Instead, Romero (17-2) set the tone early and dropped Garcia with a left hook in Round 2. Although Garcia didn’t appear hurt, the knockdown altered the course of the fight as he went from eager to timid for the rest of the fight. Neither fighter seemed to be interested in letting his hands go, with a combined 123 punches landed out of a total of 490 punches thrown. The output was the third-lowest in CompuBox history for a 12-round fight, even below the 503 punches Haney and Jose Ramirez combined to throw in the co-main event.

“He fought a good fight,” Garcia said afterward. “He caught me early. No excuses, man. Congrats to him. He did a great job, and that’s it.”

Garcia popped the jab, but Romero was patient and kept his distance. It was a surprising performance by Romero, who was two fights removed from being stopped by Isaac Cruz in 2024. Instead of recklessly rushing in, Romero was calm and steady in his approach.

Meanwhile, Garcia couldn’t shake the effects of the early knockdown and spent the duration of the bout looking for a fight-ending punch. He never found it and will now have to go back to the drawing board.

As for Romero, he might be the only person who wants to see a Garcia-Haney rematch despite emerging victorious Friday.

“I ain’t even thinking about what’s next,” Romero said. “I think Devin and Ryan should get their rematch and make a big one.”

The expectation was for Garcia and Romero to deliver fireworks and make the ringside judges’ scorecards unnecessary. Instead, the uninspired effort from Garcia capped off a listless night of fights against the backdrop of Times Square, where a small group of invite-only fans gathered inside a makeshift area staging a boxing ring. On the outside of the venue, pedestrians milled about with many stopping to see what was happening in the enclosure on several screens set up on the outside.

Turki Al-Sheikh, Saudi Arabia’s chairman of the General Entertainment Authority, planned to stage an iconic event, but the card will be remembered for a trio of fights that didn’t come close to delivering the action promised.

The main event followed an equally subpar effort by Haney, who was let off the hook by an opponent who was content simply following him around the ring. Haney appeared to be affected by his fight with Garcia last year when he was knocked down three times and lost a decision. The result was overturned to a no-contest after Garcia tested positive for the performance-enhancing drug ostarine. Garcia also came in 3.2 pounds over the contracted weight of 140 pounds for that fight.

Haney (32-0, 1 NC) seemingly couldn’t shake off the effects of the fight and was timid and reluctant to throw punches. However, Ramirez couldn’t capitalize. He followed Haney around the ring without a true sense of urgency. Fortunately for Haney, he was skilled enough to thwart the advances of a plodding Ramirez (29-3) in a sluggish fight that was relentlessly jeered on social media.

Of the 503 punches thrown in the fight, Haney landed 70 to Ramirez’s 40.

Plans for a Garcia-Haney rematch might still be in place, as a contract was reportedly signed ahead of Friday night for a clash later this year. However, due to how their fights played out, it will be interesting to see if that bout materializes later this year or if Al-Sheikh decides to go in another direction for both fighters.

Gabriela Fundora Remains Undisputed Flyweight Champion with TKO Victory Over Marilyn Badillo

Posted on April 20, 2025 by Tom Castaneda

Gabriela Fundora is keeping her titles…

In a flawless performance, the 23-year-old Mexican American professional boxer retained her undisputed flyweight championship with a seventh-round TKO victory over Marilyn Badillo on Saturday at Frontwave Arena in Oceanside, California.

Fighting for the first time in 2025, Fundora, a southpaw who had a six-inch height advantage and a four-inch reach advantage, had no problem landing her lead jab and lead hook against the shorter Badillo, who employed feints to get inside but couldn’t find the way to shorten the distance.

Badillo had a good Round 4, landing a left uppercut on Fundora and going low to try to get inside, but most of the time, Fundora’s straight left found Badillo’s chin, stopping her attacks. By the end of the round, Badillo had redness under her right eye and a big hematoma on her forehead due to an unintentional headbutt.

After the fight, Fundora said she found her rhythm during the first round. She said she saw Badillo was “doing her ducking thing, but [she was] still always there.”

In the seventh round, Fundora overwhelmed Badillo with a flurry of punches, accentuated by a powerful straight left that forced Badillo to take a knee. Referee Rudy Barragan gave her the count, but Badillo didn’t want to continue.

According to CompuBox, Fundora landed 99 of her power punches compared with only 21 for Badillo.

“I think I’m maturing,” Fundora, from Coachella, California, said of her performance. “I knew the stoppage was going to come. It just again, how I wanted to place it, and I think with this one it was more of a relaxed kind of tempo.”

Fundora (16-0, 8 KOs) came into the bout as ESPN‘s No. 1-ranked flyweight, while Badillo (19-1-1, 3 KOs) was ranked No. 3.

Fundora made history in November by knocking out Gabriela Celeste Alaniz in Round 7 to become boxing’s youngest undisputed champion ever at 22. In that fight, Fundora added the WBO, WBC and WBA women’s flyweight titles to the IBF title she already owned.

Badillo, whose 19-fight winning streak was snapped, had never fought outside of Mexico. This was just her fourth bout at 10 rounds and her first title fight.

David Benavidez Defeats Oleksandr Gvozdyk to Claim WBC Interim Light Heavyweight World Title

Posted on June 16, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

David Benavidez is celebrating a unanimous victory…

The 27-year-old Mexican-American professional boxer looked relatively at home in his first appearance at light heavyweight on Saturday night, cruising to a unanimous decision over Oleksandr Gvozdyk at the MGM Grand.

Benavidez (29-0, 24 KOs) moved up to 175 pounds for the first time after his repeated efforts to entice undisputed super middleweight champ Canelo Alvarez into a bout fell short.

He beat Gvozdyk (20-2, 16 KOs) comfortably, with the judges favoring Benavidez 119-109, 117-111 and 116-112, and claimed a WBC interim world title in the victory.

“I think it’s a 7 out of 10, to be honest,” Benavidez said when asked to grade his performance. “Oleksandr is a great fighter. It’s no wonder he’s a former champion, a former Olympian.”

Benavidez revealed that he suffered a facial cut and torn tendon in his right hand before the fight. It didn’t really show in his performance, as he landed 223 punches compared with 163 for Gvozdyk, according to CompuBox. One criticism of the performance might have been a lack of power. He never had Gvozdyk in true trouble, despite teeing off on him multiple times throughout the 12 rounds.

Whether Benavidez’s power fully translates to 175 pounds will likely be a topic of discussion if he ever moves on to potentially marquee fights against titleholders Artur Beterbiev or Dmitry Bivol.

For now, Benavidez said he will look at both light heavyweight and his natural weight class of super middleweight. He said his fight night weight Saturday was 189 pounds.

“We’re still looking to go down to 168 to fight for the title,” he said. “If we’re going to get Canelo or if they’re going to vacate it, I would like to win it one more time.”

Some of Benavidez’s best work came in the first half of the fight. He had a lot of success with a looping left hook, which looked like it could turn into a fight-ending shot in the early rounds before Gvozdyk made some adjustments. Benavidez constantly pressured Gvozdyk backward and highlighted some of his work with shots to the body.

Gvozdyk, a 2012 Olympic bronze medalist, weathered the storm well, especially for a 37-year-old who retired from boxing in 2019 before returning to the sport last year. Gvozdyk even mounted a bit of a comeback in the later rounds and opened a small cut over Benavidez’s left eye.

Despite some late success, Gvozdyk routinely found himself on the back foot against his advancing opponent. Benavidez continued to look for the finish in the later rounds, but Gvozdyk ate his best shots.

Saturday’s bout was Benavidez’s first of 2024. He could be a candidate for the winner of an October 12 undisputed light heavyweight championship bout between Beterbiev and Bivol.

Ryan Garcia Knocks Down Devin Haney Three Times in Stunning Upset Win

Posted on April 21, 2024 by Tom Castaneda

Ryan Garcia has pulled off what’s being called “an upset for the ages.”

The 25-year-old Mexican American boxer, who had been labeled “mentally fragile” by many, proved the critics wrong by delivering a masterpiece in one of the most polarizing performances in recent memory, scoring three knockdowns of Devin Haney en route to a majority decision.

The judges scored it 112-112, 114-110 and 115-109.

The WBC super lightweight title, which Haney held entering the fight, was no longer at stake as Garcia was 3.2 pounds over the 140-pound limit at Friday’s weigh-in. So Haney retains the belt despite the loss.

According to CompuBox, Haney was the more accurate puncher, but Garcia’s blows clearly had the most impact. Garcia landed 106 of 285 punches (37%) and Haney connected on 87 of 214 punches (41%).

Garcia had a tremendous first round, rocking Haney with a massive left hook. Haney immediately clinched to fend off Garcia’s attack. For the rest of the frame, Haney appeared slightly gun-shy but kept Garcia at bay with his left jab, one of the best in boxing.

Haney, who previously held the undisputed lightweight world title, struck first in the second round, connecting with a stiff left jab that reddened Garcia’s nose. With less than a minute remaining, Haney went downstairs with the jab as Garcia looked for counter opportunities. Referee Harvey Dock warned Garcia twice for hitting Haney behind the head twice in the second.

Haney landed the first significant punch of the third round, an overhand right. As the clock approached the two-minute mark, Garcia missed with a big left hook.

With 50 seconds left in the third, Garcia dropped his right hand, and Haney made him pay with a crisp left hook that forced his longtime rival to pound his gloves in frustration.

Haney connected with a left hook with 1:47 remaining in the fourth round as Garcia attempted to use the shoulder roll. Garcia followed up with a right hand, but it didn’t have much mustard. Haney kept Garcia on the back foot for the rest of the round, connecting with jabs to the body.

The fifth round started slow until Haney connected with a pull counter right with just under two minutes on the clock. Midway through the round, Haney caught Garcia with a jab that froze him in his tracks. Haney continued dictating the action down the stretch, catching Garcia with a right cross.

The action got a little sloppy in the sixth. Garcia connected with a hard right hand and attempted to smother Haney, following up with a barrage of shots, but most of them missed. Later in the round, Haney was warned for hitting Garcia to the back, although Garcia was the one who had turned his back.

The tables turned in the seventh round when Garcia knocked Haney down with a brutal left hook. Garcia went for the kill but ended up costing himself a point when he hit Haney with a sharp right hand when Dock called for a break. An exhausted Haney went down twice more in the round, but Dock ruled them both slips.

Garcia continued to look for the knockout blow in the eighth, but Dock continuously got in between the fighters, angering the crowd, who wished to see more action.

Haney tried to muster up some offense with his right hand, but they lacked the zip from before the knockdown.

Haney connected with a pair of left hooks that had Garcia against the ropes with 45 seconds to go in the ninth. However, Garcia caught Haney with a right uppercut moments later to keep him honest. Haney followed up with a barrage of rights to the body when Garcia turned his back.

Garcia dropped Haney with a massive right-left combination in the 10th round for the second knockdown. Haney beat the count, but Garcia jumped back on him again and staggered him with another left hand.

In the 11th round, Garcia measured Haney, looking to land another explosive shot. He rocked Haney again, first with the right and again with the left for a third knockdown, as chants of “Ry-an! Ry-an!” rained from the crowd.

Garcia cruised to the finish, taunting his longtime rival, sticking his tongue out at Haney, and danced to the final bell.

The world questioned whether he was crazy, but Garcia made those who questioned his readiness seem like the crazy ones.

Rafael Espinoza Upsets Robeisy Ramirez to Claim WBO Championship

Posted on December 10, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Rafael Espinoza has pulled off a massive upset…

The 29-year-old Mexican boxer, an unheralded featherweight contender, shocked the boxing world on Saturday, after upsetting two-time Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez to claim the WBO championship.

Espinoza (22-0, 18 KOs) entered the bout with a pristine professional record, although the majority of his work had come against relatively unknown competition in Mexico.

Ramirez (13-2, 8 KOs) was a 15-1 betting favorite, and the bout took place in front of a very pro-Ramirez crowd at Dodge City Center near Miami. It was seen as Ramirez’s fight to lose.

Espinoza clearly didn’t see it that way. The lanky featherweight, in his first world title appearance, threw nearly 1,000 punches over the course of 12 rounds and won a majority decision via scores of 115-111, 114-112 and 113-113.

The 12-round affair immediately qualified as a fight of the year candidate. Espinoza went down from a right hook to the chin in the fifth, while Ramirez took his turn on the canvas from a barrage of punches in the 12th.

Despite not having fought past a third round in three years, Espinoza looked as if he could have fought another 12 at the conclusion. Volume was his greatest weapon, and he out-landed Ramirez 103 to 33 in the final three rounds.

The fight played out in three chapters. Espinoza’s length and volume frustrated Ramirez early, and Espinoza jumped out to a four-round lead on most scorecards. Everything turned in the final second of the fifth, when Ramirez dropped Espinoza with a short right hand. Espinoza barely survived the count and was saved by the bell as soon as action resumed.

Ramirez, 29, of Cuba, hurt Espinoza several more times in the middle frames. Espinoza’s right leg also appeared compromised at one point, after an awkward lower body clash between the two competitors. By the eighth round, it looked like normalcy had returned to the ring and Ramirez was in control, but Espinoza then somehow hit another gear.

The gutsy fighter from Guadalajara threw 995 punches to Ramirez’s 376, according to Compubox. Ramirez was far more consistent, as Espinoza only landed 222 to Ramirez’s 119. But there was no question the volume had taken its toll on the defending champion by the 12th round, and Ramirez was running on fumes. Espinoza threw 120 punches in the 12th round alone.

Brian Mendoza Shocks Sebastian Fundora to Take WBC’s Interim Super Middleweight Belt in KO Upset

Posted on April 9, 2023 by Tom Castaneda

Brian Mendoza has pulled off a stunning upset…

With a couple of devastating punches, the 29-year-old Cuban American boxer sent his career to new heights with a knockout of Sebastian Fundora on Saturday night.

A thunderous left hook followed by an overhand right sent Fundora to the canvas to give Mendoza a seventh-round KO win at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Despite being a significant underdog, the boxer from Albuquerque, New Mexico was able to elevate his career with the stunning upset victory.

“I always said the dream wasn’t to come this far,” Mendoza told reporters in his post-fight news conference. “It was to accomplish the goal, become a champion.”

Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) picked up the WBC‘s interim super middleweight belt and handed Fundora (20-1-1, 13 KOs) his first professional defeat.

Up until that point, the taller fighter (6-foot-5½) out of Coachella, California, was seemingly in control. Across all three scorecards, Fundora won every round except for the first round on judge Nathan Palmer‘s sheet.

According to CompuBox, Fundora threw more punches than Mendoza in every single round and outlanded him in all but the first. However, Mendoza wasn’t rattled by Fundora’s success.

“You have to kill me to get to me to stop,” Mendoza said in his post-fight news conference. “None of those shots, even when he was snapping my head back with those uppercuts, I was never even flashed or dazed or anything like that. I said, ‘It’s OK, I’m going to eat these shots, but I’m going to keep coming.'”

Before last year, Mendoza had lost two of his last three fights, including a 2021 loss to Jesus Ramos. But the tide in his career started to turn with a win last November against Jeison Rosario, a former champion in the 154-pound division.

On Saturday, Fundora left a slow, southpaw jab out a little too long, leaving Mendoza a window to land the massive left hook that led to the knockout win.

“For one second I turned off but I guess that’s boxing, right?” Fundora said afterwards. “It happens. You just get caught with a punch.”

Canelo Álvarez Ends Bitter Rivalry vs. Gennadiy Golovkin with Unanimous Decision Victory

Posted on September 18, 2022 by Tom Castaneda

Canelo Álvarez has ended his rivalry with Gennady Golovkin in epic fashion…

The 32-year-old Mexican professional boxer beat Golovkin via unanimous decision in their third and final fight of their epic boxing trilogy.

Alvarez was 115-113 on two judges’ scoreboards with the third scoring the fight 116-112. He defeated Golovkin in 2018 via a controversial majority decision and their first fight in 2017 ended in a split draw.

“He’s a strong fighter,” Álvarez told the crowd in Las Vegas. “For me, I’m just glad to share the ring with him. He’s a really good fighter. I’m glad to be involved in that kind of fight.”

Golovkin returned the sentiments to Álvarez.

“Everybody knows this is high level, the best fight for boxing,” Golovkin said. “Look at his face. Look at my face. It’s high level, because we trained well, and this shows that we did a very good fight, very good quality.”

Álvarez landed only 26% of his punches, including 85 power punches, according to CompuBox. Álvarez was also cut over his right eye.

He bounced back nicely from a devastating loss to Dmitry Bivol in May.

“Thank you so much for your support,” he said. “I’ve gone through very difficult things in my life. Only thing you can do is continue to move forward. I’ve gone through difficult times with my defeat, but defeats can show how you can be great, how you can come back and show humility.”

Álvarez improved to 58-2-2 in his career. Golovkin fell to 42-2-1. Golovkin has only lost to Álvarez in his career.

Anderson Silva Defeats Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by Split Decision

Posted on June 20, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Anderson Silva has taken down a boxing champion…

The 46-year-old Brazilian mixed martial artist, a former UFC middleweight champion who made a career out of doing the impossible, defeated Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. via split decision (75-77, 77-75, 77-75) in a shockingly impressive boxing performance on Saturday night at Jalisco Stadium in Guadalajara, Mexico.

A heavy underdog, Silva hadn’t competed in boxing since 2005 and had just two pro boxing matches coming in. Chavez Jr., the son and namesake of Mexico’s most popular boxing superstar, is a former WBC middleweight champion.

“I love fighting,” Silva said in his postfight interview. “Boxing was my dream for many years. I needed to show my respect for boxing. I need to come here and do my best.”

The bout was contested at 182 pounds with eight three-minute rounds. Chavez Jr. missed weight by 2.4 pounds Friday, forfeiting $100,000 of his purse to Silva. The event was dubbed “Tribute to the Kings” with the headliner pitting Chavez Sr. against Hector Camacho Jr., the son of his biggest rival, in an exhibition boxing match.

Silva’s fight against Chavez Jr. started slow, but Silva started to gain confidence in the third round and looked like the vintage version of the MMA all-time great. He started dropping his hands and taunting Chavez Jr. in the third round, a stunning display, considering the enormous gap in boxing experience. Silva carried that confidence and started hurting Chavez Jr. in the fourth round with combinations and a long, straight left. Silva, a southpaw, showed off a solid, snapping jab as well.

Chavez Jr. had some moments with body shots and left hooks, but never really hurt Silva. In the seventh, Silva opened up a cut near Chavez Jr.’s right eye, which started bleeding worse in the eighth round.

“I think it could have been a draw,” Chavez Jr. said. “I failed to throw more punches. He didn’t do much damage. There were a few rounds that went back and forth.”

Silva outlanded Chavez Jr. 99-53 in total punches and 60-41 in power punches, per CompuBox. Afterward, Canelo Alvarez, the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer, came up to Silva and gave him a “salute,” Silva said.

“I don’t believe it,” Silva said. “Canelo come talk to me. I’m so happy.”

Silva has been talking about doing a boxing match for a decade or so, but had been under contract with the UFC. Silva always said a boxing bout with Roy Jones Jr. was a dream and goal of his. Maybe now it can happen at both of their advanced ages.

Silva (2-1) is one of the greatest champions in MMA history. The Brazil native held the UFC middleweight title for seven years, the longest reign in promotion history. “The Spider” owns the longest winning streak in UFC history (16) and the most finishes in UFC title fights (nine). Silva asked for his release from the UFC last November, and it was granted. He has just one MMA victory since 2012.

Chavez Jr. (52-6-1) has lost four of his past six fights. He is indefinitely suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) and the Arizona Boxing & MMA Commission for refusing to take a drug test before a fight with Danny Jacobs in 2019.

Chavez Jr., 35, has never quite lived up to the lofty family expectations, though he does own wins over Marco Antonio Rubio and Andy Lee. He has dropped high-profile bouts to Canelo Alvarez and Jacobs.

Juan Francisco Estrada Edges Past Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez to Win WBA, WBC and The Ring Magazine Junior Bantamweight Titles

Posted on March 14, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Juan Francisco Estrada has proved that revenge is a dish best served cold.

The 30-year-old Mexican professional boxer edged past Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez by split decision in an extremely close fight at Dallas’ American Airlines Center on Saturday to win the WBA, the WBC and The Ring magazine junior bantamweight titles.

The victory comes eight years after Estrada (42-3, 28 KOs) and Gonzalez’s first action-packed bout, which was won by Gonzalez (50-3, 41 KOs).

This bout could’ve gone either way. The two combined for 2,529 punches — a junior bantamweight record — and landed 705, according to CompuBox. They combined for 2,133 punches in their first bout.

The scorecards Saturday night read 115-113 Gonzalez, 117-111 Estrada and 115-113 Estrada. The 117-111 score was shockingly wide, but the two 115-113 scores were representative of a fight with two boxers putting on a nonstop show.

Immediately afterward, sensing there was unfinished business with their rivalry split at 1-1, Estrada called for a trilogy fight to settle it all.

“I think I did enough to win. Chocolatito is a great fighter, and I think he deserves a trilogy,” Estrada said on the DAZN broadcast. “I knew it was a close fight. I didn’t know if I was up or down, but I knew I had to close out the fight in the last two rounds.”

Gonzalez was gracious and emotional in defeat, saying, “Whatever happened, happened, but I gave it a great fight.” The four-division champion said the result was what “God wanted” and that he would welcome a third bout with Estrada.

“It was a better fight than the first one,” Estrada said. “I felt strong, and I felt like I won. In the last round, I gave it all. It was a great round.”

Estrada’s win could set in motion the conclusion of a set of trilogies. Estrada noted after the fight that his mandatory challenger is Srisaket Sor Rungvisai — a man he also has split two bouts with over the past few years. Rungvisai won the first bout by majority decision in February 2018, with Estrada winning the rematch by unanimous decision in April 2019.

Rungvisai, who also has two wins over Gonzalez, stepped aside to let Estrada-Gonzalez 2 happen. Now, Rungvisai will likely want his shot at settling the trilogy fight with Estrada.

Gonzalez, who despite starting a bit slow was the aggressor for much of the fight, had the advantage over Estrada in every CompuBox category Saturday night except body punching (89-31 Estrada). The 90 power punches landed in Round 12 (51 by Gonzalez, 39 by Estrada) is a single-round junior bantamweight record, per CompuBox.

The hope is that Part 3 of this must-see thriller happens far sooner than the eight-year wait for Part 2.

Oscar Valdez Scores Knockout of the Year Against Miguel Berchelt to Claim WBC Junior Lightweight Title

Posted on February 21, 2021 by Tom Castaneda

Oscar Valdez has scored the knockout of the year…

The 30-year-old Mexican boxer, a former WBO featherweight titleholder and a two-time Olympian, took down Miguel Berchelt at the MGM Grand on Saturday night to claim the WBC junior lightweight title.

Valdez’s upset win came after he rocked Berchelt (38-2, 34 KOs) with a left hook in the final second of the 10th round in an immediate favorite for knockout of the year.

Many expected Saturday’s fight between Berchelt and Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs)

to be a back-and-forth bout between two Mexican fighters. But, the violence was mostly one-sided.

“There’s nothing better in life than proving people wrong,” said Valdez, who entered the fight as a plus-240 underdog, according to Caesars Sportsbook by William Hill. “I have a list of people who doubted me. My idols doubted me. Boxing analysts doubted me. They said Berchelt was going to knock me out. I have a message to everybody: Don’t’ let anyone tell you what you can and can’t do.

Berchelt, whose only other professional loss came via TKO in 2014, remained on his back on the canvas for several minutes but was eventually able to sit and stand with assistance.

He was taken to a hospital afterward, and Top Rank president Todd DuBoef told ESPN that he underwent a CT scan that came back clear. Berchelt was expected to be released from the hospital Saturday night.

The stunning walk-off shot might have overshadowed the fact the much smaller Valdez dominated the fight. He scored knockdowns in the fourth and 10th rounds and was well ahead on all three judges’ scorecards at the time of the finish.

Judges had Valdez, who was born in Mexico but grew up in Arizona, ahead by scores of 89-80, 88-81 and 87-82.

“Oscar Valdez proved he is one of the great Mexican champions,” said Top Rank CEO Bob Arum. “An absolute masterpiece in the ring tonight.”

Valdez outlanded Berchelt 149-99 in total punches and 103-64 in power punches, according to CompuBox.

The victory, which is Valdez’s third consecutive appearance at 130 pounds, could set up a junior lightweight title fight between Valdez and Top Rank’s Shakur Stevenson (15-0, 8 KOs), who was in attendance inside the “bubble” on Saturday and has expressed interest in taking on Valdez. Top Rank president Todd DuBoef said he would love to set up a fight between the two undefeated junior lightweights.

“I want to take this belt home, and I’m happy for that. Any champion out there … I heard Shakur Stevenson wants to fight,” Valdez said. “Let’s do it. I just want to keep on fighting and give the fans what they want.”

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