By: Sean Crose
Marlen Esparza, the WBA and WBC 21-1 flyweight champion, took on Eva Guzman 19-1-1 on Saturday night at Fort Worth’s Dickies’ Arena. The fight is scheduled for ten two-minute innings. Esparza got an instant win, swinging a well-intentioned punch to Guzman’s head. Guzman, on the other hand, went through this round using a Southpaw hit. The second half saw Guzman fight well, although Esparza looked a bit stronger. Guzman, however, may have come in third as the more active fighter.
Both fighters knocked each other out in an exciting fourth round. The fifth was a complete slugfest, with Esparza seemingly having a slight edge. Esparza controlled fifth with a sharper punch. By the sixth round, it began to appear as if Guzman was neither big enough nor strong enough to beat the defending champion. However, the aggressive challenger continued to let Esparza know that she was in for a real fight in the seventh round. The bouts remain a high octane relationship until the eighth.
Although not technically as skillful as the defending champion, Guzman was still energetic and energetic in the ninth round. The final round was the one where Guzman actually fought Esparza. However, that was not enough as Esparza walked out of the ring with a decisive unanimous victory.
