Eduardo Nunez-Emanuel Navarrete live blog recap

The fight will go in the books as an 11th round TKO for Emanuel Navarrete, though nary a punch was thrown in the round.

Promoter Eddie Hearn raced to the Nuñez corner in between rounds, out of concern for his fighter and seemingly eager to have them stop the contest.

Referee Benny Rodriguez does it for him as he had the ringside physician once again examine Nuñez. This time, it's agreed that the fight needn't continue.

Emanuel Navarrete wins at 1 second into the 11th round, and is now the unified IBF/WBO 130lbs titlist. Nuñez snapped a 20-fight win streak with the setback as his title stay ends at just nine months. 

Round 10 begins... with a visit from the ringside physician. Concern for Nuñez after he absorbed an alarming number of power shots in the 9th round. His right eye is also a mess - swollen, cut and bloodied.

It only got worse from there. Navarrete was relentless in his attack, landing power shots from all angles as Nuñez had neither the defense, the firepower nor the full vision to slow down the attack. 

Navarrete came out for the 9th as if he was done with letting Nuñez believe he belongs in the fight. The three-division titlist slammed home a right hand and also landed a flush left hook. Nuñez froze as Navarrete continued with his attack. The worst seemed to pass as Nuñez clinched when necessary but wasn't able to come on until the final 25 seconds of the round. Navarrete pushed past the attack and cracked Nuñez with a right hand down the middle, setting up a round-ending flurry. 

Nuñez enjoyed a brief moment along the ropes, long enough to land right hands during consecutive exchanges. Each one bounced sweat off the head of Navarrete, who found room to respond and managed to get in the better licks. An unorthodox combination by Navarrete briefly rocked Nuñez but the IBF titleholder steadied himself and avoided further damage. 

Navarrete lets rip a right hand to the body. Nuñez barely budges, though it also stopped him from coming forward. Crowd alternating in its approval, though Navarrete brings the fans to their feet as he lands left hooks along the ropes. Nuñez escapes danger and peppers his countryman with compact power shots to avoid a clinch. Navarrete dodges a left hook to the body and drops a right hand over the top of Nuñez's guard. 

Nuñez is clearly more confident, following his success in the preceding round. More cheers with his name attached for the first time in the fight, though quickly countered with chants of "Vaquero". Navarrete lets rip a double left hook, one to Nuñez's arm, the other to the body. Action moves to the ropes, where a two-way exchange breaks out and the crowd ERUPTS! 

Nuñez finally comes alive for the first time in the fight, He found frequent success to the body, beginning with a sweeping left hook downstairs. It set up an opportunity to connect up top, though Navarrete was prepared for the moment. Navarrete came back with a looping right hand of his own downstairs. From there, a fight finally broke out much to the delight of the crowd - at least those not brawling amongst themselves (we're up to 3 already).

The preceding round should have been the wake-up call that Nuñez needed but he still has yet to impose his will. Navarrete continues to use his jab to set up power shots from long range. A left hook finds the mark, and Navarrete follows up with a brief volley of power shots. Nunez attempts a couple of lead rights to the body, with moderate success. Navarrete runs another 10-second drill to close out the round. 

Navarrete connects with a jab, while a sweeping left hook was partially picked off but still forced Nuñez to move back. Crowd is largely in support of Navarrete (who is 3-0 in the greater Phoenix area) but chants of "Nuñez" mixed in. Still lots of lateral movement from Nuñez, has yet to settle down and commit to his punches. Navarrete lands a right hand just before the 10-second clapper, and connects with a wicked left uppercut to briefly rock Nuñez. 

Navarrete remains in control through two rounds. Nuñez's potent offense not yet on display, lots of lateral movement and little engagement from the Los Mochis native. Navarrete's best moments came in the final 30 seconds, when he had Nuñez trapped in a neutral corner and connected with a thudding power shot. 

Action was a touch slow out the gate, save for a brief moment when Navarrete cornered his countryman and managed to connect with a right hand. Lots of movement from Nuñez in the first three minutes. Seems to have settled in more as a boxer, especially after going the 12-round distance in each of his past two starts. 

Meanwhile, a far more intense fight broke out in the lower bowl which brought surrounding fans to their feet. 

My beloved #AnthemHeads were treated to a two-pack tonight. Renditions of the anthems from Mexico and the U.S. drew their appropriate response from the crowd and we now move to the main event between WBO 130lbs titlist Emanuel Navarrete and IBF beltholder Eduardo "Sugar" Nuñez. 

In the immortal words of my dear friend David Diamante... "THE FIGHT... STARTS... NOW!!!" 

Emiliano Vargas was hailed by Ring Magazine as the 2025 Prospect of the Year.

The second-generation boxer now has aspirations of entering the Fighter of the Year race in 2026. 

Included in his lofty plans is a shot at one of the current title claimants in the loaded 140lbs division.

"I want to be world champion by my next fight," Vargas insisted after his stoppage victory over Agustin Quintana after nine rounds. "Every fight I continue to grow. I’m only 21 years old and I just want to become world champion, that’s it."

Agustin Quintana suffered bruising under both eyes and a cut outside his left eye... but insisted he had one more round in him. The referee - who observed closely in between rounds - disagreed and stopped the fight just prior to the start of the 10th and final round.

Official time: 3:00 of Round 9. 

Emiliano Vargas advanced to 17-0 (14 KOs), including a perfect 5-0 (3 KOs) at this very venue. It wasn't his best night at the office but a stiff test and he was able to settle into a groove as the bout progressed. 

Saturday marked Vargas' first fight of 2026 - and since his celebrated guest appearance along with WBA/WBO 154lbs titlist Xander Zayas during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance earlier this month in Santa Clara, California. 

Agustin Quintana spent the past several rounds growing braver and braver. Emiliano Vargas was finally able to make him pay in the 8th round. The unbeaten second generation boxer pinned Quintana in a corner late in the frame and then again along the ropes in the closing seconds. 

The sustained punishment was enough for Quintana to be briefly examined by the ringside physician prior to the start of the 9th round. 

Time is called with just more than one minute elapsed in Round 5. Emiliano Vargas winces in pain after a looping left hook by Agustin Quintana travels well south of the border.

Agustin Quintana's persistence has paid off versus Emiliano Vargas. He's not only closed the gap but is beginning to find the mark with greater regularity through four rounds.

Vargas' best moments come when he leads with his left hook to the body but for the moment is far from his best. 

Agustin Quintana saw all that he needed from his first round with Emiliano Vargas. The scrappy Argentinean boxer was already swinging for the fences in round two. Most of his attempts caught nothing but air, as Vargas used the ring well to avoid getting caught up in a brawl. 

No sooner than when Agustin Quintana made his way to the ring, the crowd immediately rose to its feet - in anticipation of his opponent. 

Emiliano Vargas didn't need a Super Bowl halftime appearance to draw love from the Phoenix market. Saturday marks his fifth appearance in town -- all at DDA, and to raucous applause every time. 

Their scheduled 10-round co-feature starts... NOW! 

Marcus Watson paraded around the ring, confident that PBC-represented Abel Ramos pulled off the upset victory. 

Two of the three judges confirmed that warm and fuzzy feeling, as Ramos claimed a 10-round, split decision over previously unbeaten Tahmir Smalls. 

Scores were 98-92 Ramos, a laughable 96-94 Smalls and 97-93 for Ramos. The win was sweet justice for his landing just one point shy of a WBC welterweight title win in his November 2024 draw with Mario Barrios. 

The anxious crowd has looked for any reason to cheer. So much, that they roared in approval when Abel Ramos inadvertently pushed Tahmir Smalls to the canvas. The referee correctly waved it off as a slip. 

Ten rounds done, Abel Ramos leaps into his trainer's arms as if he pulled off the upset. We shall see...

Tahmir Smalls and Abel Ramos are not quite doing their part to support the genius of Kevin Rooney's stellar matchmaking skills. 

The most entertaining part of their bout through four rounds thus far, was the near capacity crowd executing a flawless wave several times around the DDA bowl. 

Tahmir Smalls is a prospect to watch and a nice boxer. The FIGHT-thirsty crowd isn't interested in any of that, however, and wants ACTION. 

To that point, Abel Ramos has yet to rev up his engine here in the opening round of their scheduled ten at welterweight. 

Welterweights Tahmir Smalls and Abel Ramos up next after the fun DAZN opener. 

Philadelphia's Smalls, 16-0 (11 KOs) is a stablemate of former unified 147lbs titlist and current WBA interim 154lbs titleholder Jaron "Boots" Ennis. 

Ramos, 28-6-3 (22 KOs) - who lives roughly an hour away in Casa Grande, Arizona - has not fought since his sensational November 2024 draw with then-WBC welterweight titleholder Mario Barrios. 

Judges were ALL OVER the place... and couldn't land on a winner.

Jordan Martinez claimed a 98-92 nod on one card, to the delight of his adoring local fans. 

Arturo Cardenas nabs a 96-94 verdict on the second. Third judge has it 95-95, producing the 10-round, split decision draw.

Arturo Cardenas open to a rematch. So, too, is promoter Eddie Hearn.

"Phoenix, you want a rematch?" asks Hearn. Crowd ROARS in approval. 

Ten rounds in the books from the opening bout of the four-fight DAZN stream. Arturo Cardenas tested throughout his 122lbs clash with locally-based Jordan Martinez.

We await the judges scorecards... 

What's up, BoxingSceners? We are live at ringside for tonight's anticipated 130lbs unification clash between WBO titlist Emanuel Navarrete and IBF beltholder Eduardo "Sugar" Nuñez. 

Highly touted junior featherweight prospect Arturo Cardenas has settled into a groove after locally-based Jordan Martinez - from Phoenix's East Side - jumped out to a strong start. They are currently in round 8 of a scheduled ten. Vibrant crowd thirsting for more in-ring action.