Oscar Valdez Decisions Scott Quigg with Scott Quigg

In what was another classic fight from the Stub Center in Carson, California WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez (24-0, 19 KOs) of Tucson, Arizona by way of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico and former world champion Scott Quigg (34-2-2, 25 KOs) of England.

From the start Valdez was landing the big punches connectin Quigg with a huge right in the opening round. Quigg came right at Valdez in round two as they stood in the pocket trading. Attacking on the inside in the third Valdez connected with the left hook to the body a couple of times.

Working off the jab In the fifth Valdez tagged Quigg cutting his left eye as Quigg responded with a huge right. It was a wild sixth round as Quigg and Valdez traded, the champion began bleeding from his mouth.

The seventh round saw Quigg's cut trickling blood as Valdez kept his distance boxing. Blood was spilled as Quigg and Valdez both were bleeding in the eighth. The war continued in the ninth as Valdez landed good combinations inside, Quigg responded with pressure. In the championship rounds it was all war as they traded to the final bell with Valdez fighting with a broken jaw and Quigg with a broken nose.

The judges scored the fight 118-110, 117-111, and 117-111 as Valdez retains his WBO featherweight title.

Oscar Valdez did not attend the post-fight press conference. He suffered a broken jaw in his gutsy win over Scott Quigg and was sent to UCLA Harbor Medical Center.

Valdez’s trainer Manny Robles Jr:

“Styles make fights and Oscar is a warrior every time he fights. He has been in wars these last three fights. Personally I would like for him to fight Frampton, but first we have to see how he is.”

Top Rank President Todd duBoef:

“This event ranks as the wettest. There’s something about this place. The memory of this was special. Once again we had a great show. This building for some reason, the walls are special.”

Quigg promoter Eddie Hearn:

“I just hope after tonight’s performance he (Scott Quigg) gets the respect. He went beyond the call of duty.”

Other Bouts

In the co-feature at the StubHub, unbeaten super featherweights Erick De Leon (17-0-1, 10 KOs) of Detroit and Andy ‘El Tiburon’ Vences (20-0-1,12 KOs) of San Jose battled to a ten round draw. De Leon pressed early as he frequently connected Vences with the right hook. Vences kept the distance as De Leon kept the pressure. Halfway trough De Leon began to overrun Vences as he constantly attacked Vences. The judges scored it 96-94 for De Leon, 95-95, and 95-95.

Former heavyweight title challenger Andy Ruiz (30-1, 20 KOs) of Imperial Valley, California Mexicali, Mexico returned to the ring scoring a first round knockout over former U.S. Olympian Devin Vargas (20-5, 8 KOs) of Toledo, Ohio, at the StubHub Center in Carson, California. A huge right hand sent Vargas to the canvas as referee Thomas Taylor stopped the fight 1:38 of the first.

Undefeated super lightweight Arnold Barboza (18-0, 6 KOs) of Los Angeles scored a ten round unanimous decision over Michael “Yes Indeed” Reed (23-2, 12 KOs) of Maryland. Barboza and Reed boxed, countered and jabbed at a fast pace. A straight right by Barboza in the third staggered Reed as he backed up to the ropes. The bout was a competitive one. In the second half, Barboza kept his distance as the southpaw Reed stalked. In the end, the judges scored the bout 97-93, 97-93, 96-94.

Undefeated junior welterweight contender Alex ‘El Cholo’ Saucedo (27-0, 17 KOs) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma by way of Chihuahua, Mexico and Abner Lopez (25-8, 21 KOs) of Tijuana, Mexico went into a storm as it continued to pour in a scheduled ten round slugfest. Lopez landed big punches and Saucedo was cut over the eye. Despite the cut and being on the receiving end of some big punches, Saucedo rocked Lopez with a huge right in the sixth round. A crunching left hook to the body by Saucedo the seventh finished Lopez. Referee Raul Caiz Sr waved it off at 1:18.

In another first round knockout, 2012 Brazilian Olympic silver medalist and middleweight contender Esquiva Falcao (20-0, 14 KOs) stopped Salim Larbi (18-9-1, 5KOs) of Brooklyn in a scheduled ten round middleweight bout. Falcao dropped Larbi twice in the opening round as referee Raul Caiz Sr waived it at 2:06.

2016 U.S Olympian Mikayla Mayer (4-0, 3 KOs) of Los Angeles made quick work of Maria Semertzoglou (7-4, 2 KOs) of Greece in a female super lightweight bout. Mayer staggered Semertzoglou backing her to the ropes as the referee stepped in to stop it at 35 seconds of the first.

In the opening bout from the StubHub Center in Carson, California under the rain Bryan Lua (4-0,1 KO) of Madera, California scored a first round knockout over Jesus Arevalo (2-3) of Tucson, Arizona in a scheduled four round super featherweight bout. Lua sent Madera to the canvas as th e refree reached a ten count at 1:21.

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