Emanuel Navarrete Out-Shines Oscar Valdez, Wins With A Liver Shot Knockout To Retain His Title

'Vaquero' defended his WBO super featherweight championship successfully

Emanuel Navarrete reacts during a Weigh-in at the Westgate Hotel prior to the Navarrete v Baez fight in 2022 in San Diego, California. Navarrete defeated Valdez last night to retain his super featherweight title / Michael Owens/Getty Images.

By Isaac Nyamungu

Emanuel 'Vaquero' Navarrete lived up to expectations and overpowered Oscar Valdez once again, this time by technical knockout in the sixth round, in a bout, which was held at the Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona.

Navarrete once again displayed dominance and superiority in the round, and compared to the previous match, the 'Cowboy' was stronger and finished the actions by knockout, in the second victory of the native of the State of Mexico.

He kept unleashing damage against Oscar Valdez in their rematch until he was ready to deliver the last blow.

Navarrete dropped Valdez three times en route to a sensational sixth-round KO with a overwhelming body shot.

It emanated when Navarrete fired a right uppercut as a distraction, only to pinpoint a left hook to the body for a sixth-round knockout of Valdez on a brutal liver shot

Emanuel Navarrete ‘Cowboy’ appeared sharp and reenergized last night, knocking out Oscar Valdez in the sixth round to retain the WBO super featherweight championship in their rematch in Phoenix.

Navarrete swayed off Valdez in the first, fourth, and sixth rounds, and shattered a two-bout winless streak by out-gunning his rival for a second time, this time emerging victorious inside the distance.

The knockout came on a charming shot to the body, which Valdez strained to get up from but it just wasn’t in the legs for him anymore.

Navarrete (39-2-1, 32 KO) had queries about his conditioning as well as his dedication after going 0-1-1 in two contests following his 2023 victory over Valdez, and also had to have a hand surgery, which he says was the main factor in latest shows.

Elsewhere, it could be that Navarrete strained majorly due to the hand or in addition to other factors, this was evidently a more vintage version of “Vaquero,” who appeared in very good shape and was just the better man against the game but stunned Valdez (32-2, 24 KO).

It’s the first stoppage defeat of the 33-year-old Valdez’s career, and he’s now 2-3 in his last five matches dating back to 2022.

Ahead of the clash, Emanuel Navarrete was the clear favorite with a 97.7% opportunity of win in comparison to Oscar Valdez's 2.3%, a prediction that the 'Cowboy' made good on.

The contest had an absolute dominator in the case of Navarrete, who showed more power in his attacks, against an Oscar Valdez who never knew how to decipher the strategy of the 'Vaquero', against whom he suffered two knockdowns.

The Navarrete's punishment did not stop and by the fifth round Navarrete was determined to finish the fight early, and this was demonstrated by the right-handed shot with which he knocked Valdez's mouth-guard out