Navarrete outslugs Valdez to retain 130 title in the expected classic

Mexican warriors produce compelling fight of year candidate

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There was never going to be any subtlety to the fight between Emanuel Navarrete and Oscar Valdez on Saturday night.

Forget the sweet science. Forget the art of hit and not get hit. No, no, no. This was always going to be about one thing: nuts and guts.

From the moment the bout was conceived, everybody — the fighters, promoter Top Rank and boxing fans — expected it to be a straight ahead battle, a grinding war of attrition between Mexican warriors looking to add their names to the long list and distinguished history of such fights.

Top Rank even invited the poster men for such battles, Hall of Famers Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales, who the company promoted in three historic world title slugfests between 2000 and 2004, to participate in the fight week activities.

And then they were ringside just as one final reminder — as if anyone needed one — of what to expect from the Navarrete-Valdez pairing.

Then Navarrete and Valdez went to the ring and delivered a classic fight of the year contender that produced unbridled violence and showed the heart and determination of both men. In the end, Navarrete won a unanimous decision to retain the WBO junior lightweight world title for the first time in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card before a raucous crowd of 10,246 at Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona.

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