-
Cameron Wolfe
Close
ESPN Employees Author- Coated the Broncos for 2 seasons with the Denver Put up
- Graduate of the College of Houston
- A local of Jackson, Miss.
-
Ben Child
Close
ESPN Employees Author- ESPN Employees Author
- Beforehand a school soccer author for The Dallas Morning Information
- College of North Texas graduate
Emanuel Navarrete’s TKO victory over Christopher Diaz Saturday night in the primary occasion of a High Rank card on the Silver Spurs Enviornment in Kissimmee, Florida, provides him many choices at featherweight or junior light-weight. After dominating the junior featherweight division, Navarrete moved to the 126-pound division, received and defended a world title.
On the undercard, Edgar Berlanga failed to extend his first-round KO streak and wanted all eight rounds to defeat Demond Nicholson.
“I give myself a ‘C’ tonight,” Berlanga stated after the combat. “I needed the knockout, in fact, however I am glad to have carried out in entrance of my Puerto Rican folks, who have been cheering me on all night time.”
After scoring 16 consecutive KO victories to start out his profession, all within the first spherical, Berlanga went the gap and received a unanimous determination with scorecards of 79-68, 79-69 and 79-69.
“It was an superior expertise for me,” Berlanga stated. “I caught him with an incredible shot at 10 seconds of the final spherical. I needed to get him out. However I did not, however I obtained the expertise, particularly in entrance of my Puerto Rican folks. It was good.”
Xander Zayas, the most effective younger fighter in boxing, scored a formidable first-round TKO over Demarcus Layton. Zayas (Eight-Zero, 6 KOs), 18, the youngest fighter signed by High Rank, has scored KO victories in 4 of his final 5 fights.
Is it time for Zayas to take a step up in competitors? Did Berlanga get precisely what he wanted with the ending of his streak? Will Navarrete keep put or proceed to maneuver up? Ben Child and Cameron Wolfe react to Saturday’s card in Florida.
Ought to Navarrete transfer as much as 130?
Navarrete’s fashion is way from what you’d count on from a two-division champion. He will be wild, unpredictable, off-balance and overly aggressive. However Navarrete virtually at all times wins in an action-packed combat that normally ends in a knockout, because it did Saturday night time when he completed featherweight contender Diaz.
Navarrete is essentially the most harmful man within the featherweight division (sure, much more than fellow titleholder Gary Russell Jr.) and it appears clear his energy would translate even when he moved as much as junior featherweight, a transfer he is flirted with lately. So what’s the most effective profession transfer for Navarrete? Keep at featherweight, the place he can proceed to defend his crown and name out different champions like Russell and Leo Santa Cruz? Or transfer as much as 130 kilos the place High Rank has a bevy of potential big-name opponents?
The vote right here is for Navarrete to maneuver as much as 130 kilos and the dream bout is in opposition to rising star Shakur Stevenson. It is a combat that would profit each fighters. It’d give Navarrete an opportunity to be a three-division champion as they may combat for the WBO junior light-weight title, assuming Jamel Herring vacates as a substitute of preventing Stevenson. It will give Stevenson a much-desired marquee title on his resume and an opportunity to choose aside an influence puncher who nobody has found out.
If he vacate I am preventing for da title June 12th however Actually if he comes up I would not thoughts him being my first challenger for my belt?? https://t.co/XWOUNMi3P0
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) April 25, 2021
Let’s make it occur.
Different potential opponents at 130 embrace WBC champion Oscar Valdez, Herring and former champion Miguel Berchelt.
The cash, fame and legacy is ready for Navarrette within the junior light-weight division. It is time for him to make use of his leaping uppercut to go chase it. — Cameron Wolfe
Studying expertise or failure for Berlanga?
1:26
Edgar Berlanga has his first-round knockout streak snapped, however will get an enormous knockdown of Demond Nicholson late within the remaining spherical to safe the victory.
What occurred to Berlanga was the most effective factor that would have occurred to him.
For the primary time in 16 professional fights, Berlanga did not win through first-round stoppage. In truth, Berlanga needed to go the gap in his unanimous determination victory over Nicholson.
The efficiency, which was nonetheless spectacular, will give coach Andre Rozier loads of instructing tape for the budding 23-year-old prospect. Berlanga’s opponent was lastly round lengthy sufficient for a number of of Berlanga’s flaws to manifest themselves within the ring.
Even in an 18-foot ring, Berlanga struggled to chop it off as Nicholson sought refuge in each inch of the canvas. Nicholson additionally had a shocking quantity of success with straight punches by means of Berlanga’s guard and was even capable of win a spherical within the judges’ scorecards. By the top of the combat, Berlanga seemed to be gassed earlier than he summoned sufficient energy to place Nicholson down one remaining time.
Berlanga was understandably upset that his massive knockout streak ended. Nevertheless, it served a function. The streak gave him buzz and notoriety that ought to make him marketable for the remainder of his professional profession. And he not has to hold the burden of maintaining that streak alive in each combat.
Throughout his run of 16 first-round knockouts in 16 fights, Berlanga felt considerably like a gimmick. Confronted with an precise problem for as soon as, that notion modified on Saturday. Edgar Berlanga is a prizefighter. — Ben Child
Is Zayas able to step up in competitors?
From the second he turned professional, many believed Zayas had the potential to be a particular prospect. Zayas exhibits why every time he steps into the ring. On Saturday night time, Zayas overwhelmed Layton to choose up a first-round TKO victory.
It was the kind of efficiency that exhibits Zayas is perhaps prepared for more durable competitors. We’re not speaking a couple of former champion or title contender. However despite the fact that he is 18, it is time for Zayas to face a stiffer problem within the reverse nook. Zayas has roughly walked by means of his first eight opponents. Three of his final 4 fights have led to a first-round stoppage. Zayas did not drop a single level within the lone exception, a February win over James Martin.
Fortuitously for Zayas, there are many welterweights that may ease him alongside in his younger profession. The division has sufficient depth the place he can discover an opponent that may check him whereas not risking his undefeated file and his future. However at this trajectory, it is solely a matter of time earlier than Zayas proves he is worthy of going through an enormous title and probably a combat deeper on a High Rank card. — Ben Child