By Norm Frauenheim
GLENDALE, Ariz. –The blood poured into a right eye. A swelling bruise began to close the left eye. Only the end was easy to see.
Emanuel Navarrete’s punches, long and deadly, bloodied, bruised and busted-up Eduardo Nunez, forcing the ring physician to call an end to the carnage in the first second of the eleventh round Saturday night at Desert Diamond Arena.
Navarrete’s victory proved to be a definitive answer to a growing chorus of critics who believed that the three-division champ was in a steep decline. He’s not. Instead, he’s a unified junior welterweight champion. He took Nunez’ International belt and added it to his World Boxing Organization title.
“I feel like I got back to what it is to be a Mexican warrior,” he said to a roaring crowd after his fourth appearance in the state since 2023.
The only way back to his warrior roots, however, was through a determined challenge from another resilient Mexican. Nunez (29-2, 27 KOs) was a slight favorite. And there were moments when it looked as if he might prevail.
“I want to be champion again,” he said after hugging Navarrete in the center of the ring. “I will continue to learn.
Nunez’ right eye was cut in the fourth round. From the fifth through about the eighth, however, his power and evident discipline forced Navarrete to retreat.
But his corner stopped the bleeding after the round. The blood was gone, suddenly and seemingly replaced by a sharper Nunez. He began to find his range. He landed a solid body-to-head combination that backed Navarrete into the ropes.
The double shot, perfectly executed, seemed to surprise Navarrete, whose loosey-goosey style managed to confuse Nunez over the first two to three rounds. But the combo interrupted Navarrete’s momentum. He hesitated just enough for Nunez to get back into the fight.
Nunez’ power was finding avenues under Navarrete’s long, spaghetti-like arms. First, he targeted Navarrete’s body. Then his head, Navarrete went into reverse. He marched forward in the opening round. He retreated in the seventh. Increasingly, the relentless Ninez was there, his head and face in Navarrete’s chest. In the eighth, Nunez backed him into the ropes and followed with a succession of head shots that landed with an echo that could be heard above the roar from the crowd.
In the ninth, the blood started flowing again. A rapid swelling, the color of a purple grape, appeared around the left. Only the end was left.
Emiliano Vargas prevails in punishing fight
There’s more to Emiliano Vargas than just a pretty face. There’s a mean streak too.He displayed it Saturday in a contentious, bruising stoppage of Augustine Quintana Saturday In a junior-welterweight fight that was a good measure of the young prospect’s chances of fulfilling his potential at Desert Diamond Arena.
“I want to become a world champion in my next fight,” the 21-year-old Vargas said after forcing Quintana’s corner to end it after the ninth round.
In the early rounds, it looked as if Vargas would win easily. In the fifth, however, Quintana (22-3-1, 13 KOs) suddenly got aggressive. He marched forward, pursuing Vargas and throwing punches at a wild rate and in every direction. One landed low. Then, another. Vargas was in evident pain. The referee called time and warned Quintana.
For a few seconds, Vargas walked it off. The warning, however, changed the fight. It got nasty, borderline ugly. Quintana continued to throw punches, some that repeatedly seemed to land just at or below the beltline. But Vargas didn’t back away.
Instead, he stood and exchanged shots that echoed throughout the old ice hockey arena. In the eighth, Quintana slipped onto his hands and knees. Vargas looked at him. Actually, he glared and gestured at the Argentine, urging him to get up. No interpretation necessary. Vargas wanted to administer some more punishment.
He did with punches that forced another timeout Quintana was sent to his corner where the ringside physician was waiting. The good doctor took a look at his busted-up face and determined the fight could continue. Nobody was happier about that than Vargas. A round later, it was over, despite angry protests from the busted-up Quintana.
Abel Ramos storms back, scores decision over Smalls
Now we know why Mario Barrios wouldn’t fight Abel Ramos again.
Ramos, fighting for the first time since a controversial draw with Barrios for the WBC welterweight title more than a year ago, displayed great conditioning, unleashing another furious rally for a victory over prospect Tahmir Smalls at Desert Diamond Arena.
It was close, but this time the judges got it right, giving Ramos (29-6-3, 22 KOs) a split decision– 98-92 and 97-93 for Ramos, 96-94 for Smalls.
Ramos and the crowd — populated by many fans from hometown Casa Grande about an hour drive from Glendale — celebrated as though they had been waiting for fate and fairness to finally favor Ramos.
For months, he waited and wondered, praying and hoping for a rematch with Barrios.
“It’s been awhile since I last fought,” he told The Boxing Hour before opening bell. “I thought I’d get the rematch. There were. a couple times I thought it was done. They kept saying yeah. But then he got the Manny Pacquiao fight. That’s when I knew I’d have to fight somebody else. No regrets.
“I’m just happy to be here, fighting again.
“I just love to fight.”
For the last six rounds, that was evident, painfully so for Smalls (16-1 11 KOs). First, there were body shots from Ramos. Then, head shots. In the final round, Smalls slipped to the canvas, a picture of exhaustion..
“It’s exactly how I thought it would go,” said Ramos, who resurrected his future. “I hope this win will give me another title shot. I want Ryan Garcia, all of the champions.”
Martinez, Cardenas fight to a draw
Jordan Martinez didn’t get the win. But he got the cheers and probably a rematch.
Martinez, an entertaining mix of energy and speed, wound up with a draw in front of hometown fans Saturday against favored Arturo Cardenas in the first fight of the DAZN live stream of the Emanuel Navarrete-Eduardo Nunez fight at Desert Diamond Arena.
Martinez (16-0-1, 15 KOs) appeared to grab the early momentum in the junior-featherweight fight. He danced into the ring and kept his feet moving throughout most of the early rounds. By the mid rounds, however, Cardenas (17-0-2, 9KOs) began to catch with solid shots. It was enough for him to also catch him on the cards — 98-92 for Martinez, 96-94 for Cardenas and 95-95. It was a split draw. A split audience, too..
“Most of his shots were hitting me on the gloves,” Cardenas, of Mexico, said.
The, crowd booed,
“We can run it back for sure and I’ll come back better,” said Martinez, a Phoenix fighter who wore the city’s logo on the back of his trunks.
Mesa junior welterweight Ochoa suffers first loss
Mexican Oscar Alvarez Guerrero brought Julio Cesar Chavez out of his broadcasting seat and onto his feet with a resilient burst of late energy that led to an upset decision over Trini Ochoa, a popular junior welterweight from Mesa, Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena.
The early moments in the eight-round fight appeared to belong to Ochoa, who delivered an effective body attack. But the lanky Guerrero (15-2, 12 KOs) endured the shots, recovered and then began to dominate, especially in the final couple of rounds. That’s when Guerrero mounted a relentless attack, backing Ochoa (21-1, 9 KOs) on to the ropes and into the loss column for the first time.
Bantamweight Velle stays unbeaten with dominant decision
Phillip Velle, an accomplished amateur, continued to add a prospect’s credibility to his resume Saturday, displaying a comprehensive skill set in a dominant decision over Brayan Ramos at Desert Diamond Arena.
Velle (5-0, 2 KOs), landed several well-executed counters throughout a sxi-round bantamweight fight. He staggered Ramos (8-8-1, 2 KOs), a resilient Mexican who managed to stay on his feet and in the fight.
Prospect Beltran extends unbeaten record
Hector Beltran calls himself Handsome. The nickname still works. His face and record remains unmarked.
Beltran, a Robert Garcia-trained prospect, stayed unbeaten with a shutout decision over a game Cesar Diaz in the second fight on the Navarrete-Nunez featured card Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena.
Beltran (7-0, 5 KOs), of Dallas, took complete control of the welterweight bout in fourth, landing successive shots that rocked Diaz (10-2, 6 KOs) from one side of the ring to the next.
First Bell: Navarrete-Nunez card opens with quick KO
Las Vegas welterweight Rahman Muhammad turned a scheduled matinee into a short feature Saturday at Desert Diamond Arena
Muhammad (3-0, 2 KOs) wasted little time, opening the show with second-round stoppage of Mitchell McFadden, (1-1), of Atlanta, on a Matchroom card featuring the Emanuel Navarrete-Eduardo Nunez fight for two pieces of the junior-lightweight title