WBO junior featherweight champion Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete of Mexico retained his belt for the fifth time when he stopped Filipino Jeo Santisima in the 11th round at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
There was very little in it through round one but Navarette picked up the pace to win rounds two and three.
The challenger did well to score with big some shots to the head and body in round four but in the fifth round, Navarette stunned Santisima and began to dominate, fighting from the southpaw stance.
Later in the fight, the champ was in control working off the jab and scoring with rights and lefts to the head and body before the referee Russell Mora stopped the fight at 2 minutes 20 seconds into the 11th round.
Navarette improved his record to 31-1; 27 and Santisima’s record fell to 19-3; 10.
The fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena was on the undercard of the heavyweight world title rematch between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury.
On the same card, former IBF heavyweight champion Charles Martin (28-2-1; 24) won on a sixth-round stoppage in an IBF heavyweight title eliminator against Gerald Washington (20-4-1; 13). – supersport.com
