Edward Vazquez earned a sixth-round technical knockout over Grimardi Machuca on Friday at the College Park Center in the University of Texas at Arlington.
The time of the stoppage was 10 seconds in the sixth.
It was a vintage performance from Vazquez, a fighter from Fort Worth, Texas, who has made a career out of troubling fighters with his forward pressure and high work rate. In his junior lightweight bout against Machuca in the co-feature of a ProBox TV card, he was no different.
In the second round, Vazquez landed a left hook to daze Machuca, who was saved only by the bell. A relentless Vazquez used calculated pressure with brilliant head movement to continue walking down Machucha. Vazquez rocked Machuca with another left hook at the end of the fourth, and Machuca appeared deflated between rounds before finally succumbing.
With the win, the 30-year-old Vazquez, 19-3 (5 KOs), is on a two-fight win streak. He has two losses in title fights: a stoppage loss to WBO featherweight titleholder Rafael Espinoza in May and a majority decision defeat against IBF junior welterweight titleholder Joe Cordina in 2023. Vazquez's other career defeat is a split decision loss to former featherweight titleholder Raymond Ford.
Machuca, a 35-year-old Venezuelan from Camden, New Jersey, dropped his fourth fight in a row, falling to 17-4 (13 KOs).
Earlier on the card, welterweight Emilio Garcia, of Laredo, Texas, earned a first-round technical knockout over Ociel Vazquez, of Dallas.
The time stoppage was 2 minutes, 15 seconds in the first.
Garcia landed a left hook to the body, followed by a left hook to the chin, dropping Vazquez. A flurry of swarming punches from Garcia sent his opponent to the canvas. Vazquez’s corner threw in the towel after he hit the canvas for the second time.
Garcia, 23, has started his career with four straight knockouts, improving to 4-0 (4 KOs). Garcia also has three first-round knockouts.
Vazquez, 28, fell to 2-3 after being stopped for the first time in his career.
Lightweight Hugo Amador Mendez, of Pflugerville, Texas, stopped Christian Anibal Luna, of Montevideo, Uruguay, in the fifth round.
The time of the stoppage was 1 minute, 11 seconds.
Mendez dropped Luna with a right uppercut in Round 1. Later, Mendez landed a series of unanswered punches, forcing referee Laurence Cole to call a halt to the bout in the fifth round.
Mendez, 21, improved to 7-0 (4 KOs), while the 31-year-old Luna fell to 3-2 (1 KO). The stoppage was the first he has suffered in his career.
Junior featherweight Figo Ramirez, of Dallas, won a split decision over Antonio Alejandro Mejia Martinez, of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.
Two judges scored it 58-56 for Ramirez, with the third judge having it 58-56 for Martinez.
Ramirez clearly won the first two rounds, but he began to fight in a close-quarters brawl with Martinez. Ramirez was nearly dropped by Martinez with a body shot in Round 4. The rest of the rounds offered back-and-forth action.
Ramirez, 23, improved to 10-0-1 (4 KOs) after fighting to a draw in June.
The 19-year-old Martinez fell to 5-3 (1 KO) and might be the best fighter in the world with that record.
Junior lightweight Xavier Bocanegra, of Donna, Texas, won a six-round unanimous decision over Malik Lewis of Miami.
The scores were 60-54, 60-54 and 59-55.
Bocanegra, 22, improved to 10-0 (7 KOs), while the 32-year-old Lewis dropped to 8-3 (5 KOs).
In the opening bout, Ranulfo “Ray” Bocanegra, of Donna, won a four-round unanimous decision over Kevin Ronquillo Nunez, of Lerdo, Durango, Mexico.
The three scores were 40-36.
The 20-year-old Bocanegra – the younger brother of Xavier Bocanegra – moved to 5-0 (2 KOs).
Nunez fell to 10-14-1 (2 KOs), and finished the fight with severe swelling on his left eye, which was nearly shut.
Lucas Ketelle is the author of “Inside the Ropes of Boxing,” a guide for young fighters, a writer for BoxingScene and a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America. Find him on X at @BigDogLukie.
