10/16/2024
Top Rank has officially confirmed a blockbuster event on Saturday, December 7, headlined by a pair of highly anticipated rematches. Three-division world champion Emanuel “El Vaquero” Navarrete will defend his WBO Super Featherweight Championship against fellow Mexican warrior Oscar Valdez in a thrilling main event at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. This action-packed card will also see WBO Featherweight Champion Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza square off in a rematch with Cuban star Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez. The event will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN+.
Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs), a three-division world champion, will step into the ring for his third defense of the WBO Super Featherweight title, this time facing a familiar foe. He last fought Valdez in August 2023, scoring a decision victory in a hard-fought contest. However, since then, Navarrete lost a decision to Denys Berinchyk in May while contesting the vacant WBO Lightweight Championship.
Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs), determined to avenge his loss, enters the bout fresh off a seventh-round TKO win over Liam Wilson in March, a victory that earned him the interim WBO junior lightweight title.
Awaiting the winner of the bout is longtime WBO number-one contender Albert Bell. Bell, (24-0, 7 KOs) the undefeated fighter from Toledo, Ohio, has been eyeing his shot at the title since rising to the top of the WBO rankings in August 2023. Despite being leapfrogged by fighters like Valdez and Wilson, Bell remains poised for his long-awaited opportunity. Recently, however, Bell saw himself overtaken yet again in the rankings by Charley Suarez, a Top Rank fighter. Bell, an independent fighter, has been active and has fought better opposition than Suarez over the last few years.
In the co-feature, WBO Featherweight World Champion Rafael “El Divino” Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) will defend his crown in a rematch against the man he dethroned last December, Robeisy “El Tren” Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs). Their first bout took place in Pembroke Pines, Florida, where Espinoza recovered from a fifth-round knockdown to floor Ramirez in the 12th round, winning by majority decision.
Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Espinoza has since defended his title successfully, scoring a fourth-round TKO over Sergio Chirino in June. Ramirez, meanwhile, rebounded with a seventh-round TKO victory over Brandon Benitez in June, setting up this rematch. The two camps struck a deal just in time to avoid a purse bid, resolving a financial dispute with Top Rank.
The undercard features an array of talent from various divisions. Undefeated Mexican junior welterweight contender Lindolfo Delgado (21-0, 15 KOs) will face the veteran Jackson Marinez (22-3, 10 KOs) in a 10-round junior welterweight bout. Delgado is coming off a split decision win over Bryan Flores in August after stopping Carlos Sanchez in March, while Marinez is riding a three-fight knockout streak.
Junior welterweight prospect Emiliano Vargas (12-0, 10 KOs) will also return to action, looking for his fifth win of the year in an eight-round clash against Alan Ayala (11-4, 7 KOs). Vargas, the son of former world champion Fernando Vargas, is fresh off a fifth-round TKO victory over Larry Fryers in September and continues to build momentum as one of boxing’s rising stars.
Heavyweight Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (11-0, 10 KOs) will also make an appearance in an eight-round heavyweight contest against an opponent yet to be named. Torrez’s last fight saw him face veteran Joey Dawejko, who was disqualified for repeatedly spitting out his mouthpiece in a bizarre conclusion to their September bout. Torrez will be looking for a more definitive win this time around.
Photo Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Full Card:
Navarrete (38-2-1, 31 KOs) vs. Oscar Valdez (32-2, 24 KOs), 12 rounds for the WBO Super Featherweight Championship
Rafael Espinoza (25-0, 21 KOs) vs. Robeisy Ramirez (14-2, 9 KOs), 12 rounds for the WBO Featherweight Championship
Lindolfo Delgado (21-0, 15 KOs) vs. Jackson Marinez (22-3, 10 KOs), 10 rounds, junior welterweight
Emiliano Vargas (12-0, 10 KOs) vs. Alan Ayala (11-4, 7 KOs), 8 rounds, junior welterweight
Richard Torrez Jr. (11-0, 10 KOs) vs. TBA
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