Emanuel Navarrete demonstrated again that a volume-punching style can take a fighter a long way.
The 130-pound titleholder used relentless pressure to defeat former champ Oscar Valdez by a convincing unanimous decision in an entertaining fight on Aug. 12 in Glendale, Arizona, arguably the biggest victory of the Mexican’s career.
And he did it even though he injured his right (power) hand sometime in the middle of the fight.
VALDEZ IS HURT EARLY 🫨#NavarreteValdez | @ESPN pic.twitter.com/u1sqGz7aqO
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) August 13, 2023
Anthony Joshua and Oleksandr Usyk recorded important victories last month but neither of them was as impressive as Navarrete, who is Boxing Junkie’s Fighter of the Month for August.
Navarrete (38-1, 31 KOs) surprised no one by throwing 1,038 punches and more than enough of them landed to win by a wide margin, 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112.
Boxing Junkie scored it 117-111 for Navarrete, nine rounds to three.
The victory was Navarrete’s 33rd in row, a remarkable feat given the level of his opposition over the past few years.
Indeed, he is respected by knowledgeable fans and pundits but he might be one of the more underappreciated fighters in the world. He’s not flashy like rivals Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis, who typically dazzle onlookers. He just wins.
Valdez (31-2, 23 KOs) was among those who were impressed.
“He’s just a warrior,” the former two-division titleholder said of Navarrete. “I tried my best. That’s all I can say.”
