Rafael Espinoza is set for his first title defense. The 6’1” featherweight from Guadalajara risks his WBO belt versus countryman Sergio Chirino. Their scheduled twelve-round contest airs live Friday on ESPN+ show from BleauLive Theater at Fontainebleau Las Vegas.
Espinoza (24-0, 20 knockouts), No. 6 at 126 by The Ring, defeated Robeisy Ramirez via majority decision last Dec. 9 in Miami. Chirino (22-1, 13 KOs) enters his first career title fight. He aims to become the first from the Mexican state of Oaxaca to win a major belt.
ISLEY OUTLASTS MARTINEZ, SURVIVES PINK SLIP FIGHT
Troy Isley outworked Javier Martinez to take a unanimous decision in what was essentially a loser-leaves-town affair. Scores were 97-91, 97-91 and 96-92 for Isley in a foul-filled middleweight bout.
Top Rank sent notice to the pair of underachieving prospects with the fish-or-cut-bait matchup. Isley, a 2020 U.S. Olympian, jumped out to an early lead as Martinez refused to let his hands go, a career-long flaw.
Martinez was urged by head trainer Robert Garcia to take the lead and not wait on Isley. The Milwaukee southpaw did just that in the third round, and was effective to the body and upstairs.
Isley got away with just a verbal warning after what appeared to be an intentional low blow in the fourth. Referee Tony Weeks instructed the Alexandria, Virginia-based boxer to keep it clean and for Martinez to not retaliate.
Enough warnings were issued to where credit ran out by the seventh. Martinez was deducted one point when a left hand strayed low. Weeks took the time to confirm that Isley was on his last warning as well.
Isley landed a right hand well below the belt but Martinez was unable to sell Weeks on the foul in the eighth. The balance of the round saw Isley land punches in bunches. Martinez’s mouth was bloodied and open but he was able to land the occasional counter left.
Another low blow by Isley finally drew a point deduction early in the ninth. Weeks warned both boxers that disqualification was the next step. Isley and Martinez adjusted accordingly, but it was Isley who landed the heavier and higher volume punches. Straight rights by Isley set up his uppercut at close quarters.
The tenth and final round followed the same trend. Isley was the busier fighter, as evident in final punchstat numbers. He was credited with landing 206-of-674 total punches (30.6%). Martinez’s success came in catch-up mode as he landed and threw fewer punches (134-of-553, 24.2%).
Isley advanced to 13-0 (5 KOs) with the win. Martinez (10-1-1, 3 KOs) suffered his first career defeat and could be promoter shopping in the near future.
ZAMORA, NAVARRO SHINE IN TOP RANK DEBUTS
DJ Zamora and Steven Navarro both enjoyed successful first fights under the Top Rank banner.
Friday marked Zamora’s first fight since last July 29 on the Terence Crawford-Errol Spence undercard at nearby T-Mobile Arena. The 21-year-old Filipino-American from Las Vegas didn’t show any rust in an eight-round decision over Mexico’s Jose Antonio Meza.
Scores were 80-72, 80-72 and 79-73 for Zamora (13-0, 9 KOs), who was touched up on occasion but otherwise dominated the bout. Meza dipped to 9-10 (2 KOs).
Los Angeles’ Navarro (2-0, 1 KO) had an easier time even as he was forced to go the full four-round distance. The former amateur standout pitched a shutout over Chile’s Juan Pablo Meza (7-4, 2 KOs). Scores were 40-36 on all three cards for Navarro, who signed with Top Rank earlier this spring.
ALSO ON THE SHOW
Floyd Diaz maintained his unblemished record with a workmanlike eight-round decision over Francisco Pedroza (18-12-2, 10 KOs). All three judges scored the bout 78-74 for the locally based Diaz (12-0, 3 KOs) in their bantamweight contest.
Puerto Rico’s Bryan Polaco (7-0, 5 KOs) opened the show with a third-round knockout of Richard Acevedo (6-1-1, 5 KOs). Polaco—now based in Vegas—dropped Acevedo twice to force the stoppage at 2:51 of the third round.
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