After another masterful performance, you decide: was it all for naught?
How old is “La Princesa Azteca”? The way she controlled the flow of this bout versus the 35-year-old Estrella “Chacala” Valverde, somebody might want to check her birth certificate. Respecting the scourge of this horrific COVID-19 pandemic, our local heroine was masterful in her beat down of the game but surely outmatched Valverde who had no answer against the 18-year veteran who in essence gave Valverde a boxing lesson.
For this event, Zanfer Boxing Promotions plus the World Boxing Council, decided they’d use seven judges to decide the match and four of the seven would be doing their scoring from home. The lopsided scores for Nava varied little. Two judges scored the bout 100-91, three had it 100-90 and the final two judges scored the bout 99-91. This might be the first time ever that seven officials were asked to judge a boxing match. It’s a wonder they didn’t have TV viewers calling their local TV Station with their pick or perhaps they could wait a while longer and use a referendum by mail.
Before the fight, La Princesa Azteca played down her edge, “I’m happy to be back but I think my opponent might have an advantage since she’s from the area (Valverde’s home town, Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, is just a 40 minute drive from the venue. “Plus, when you’re only 35, you’re always going to have an easier time making weight.”
With this 10-round bout having a catchweight of just 120 lbs., that had to be a tough grind no matter what their age. Both ladies being top professionals landed right on the money at 120 lbs. In addition this was the main event of Azteca TV’s third fight card presented by Zanfer Promotions from a soundstage at the headquarters of the Azteca network where strangely enough they’ve been having issues. The biggest issue being the fact that the Mexico City Boxing Commission had not sanctioned their fights. As a result, this bout went down as a “No-Contest” and not the win that Jackie Nava deserved. It sure sounds like the WBC and Zanfer Promociones have found themselves in a major dispute with that Mexico City Boxing Commission.
First of all, you had the boxers dealing with a no-audience situation which had to seem weird when you’re not getting any feedback after landing a solid blow. And then you, Jackie Nava, who must have had these reoccurring thoughts about your last bout in May of 2019 in which the judges scored that bout a majority draw on the 10th Anniversary of that Jackie Nava vs Marcela Acuña upset in Argentina. That fight being the much-anticipated rematch of your first fight back in 2009 which the South American won in her hometown with a not so surprising unanimous decision.
“It was surely an experience to fight under those conditions,” said Nava after the fight. “I’m sure all the fighters felt the same way.”
In Estrella “La Chacala” Valverde‘s last outing, the 35-year-old from Ciudad Nezahualcoyotl, México City, Mexico, had to come down in weight to fight Sonia Osorio for the interim WBC Super Flyweight title. In that one, Valverde came up short, losing a one-sided unanimous decision.
In this July 4th match on Azteca TV, Jackie Nava versus Estrella Valverde, the ladies put on quite a show and for a long while kept banging away at each other. That being said, after Valverde would land her less potent, less effective left hooks, there was Nava coming right back with her own head hunting to land the more effective overhand rights. Over and over again, Nava would close out a round with an onslaught of punches which had Valverde backing up to insure the judges understood Nava and Nava alone was victorious in each and every round.
In an interview after the bout, Nava once again mentioned her desire to face Mariana “Barbie” Juarez for the WBC bantamweight title. The Juarez versus Nava fight, a major payday for both, had been announced early in the year for May 8, 2020 in Mexico City, but it was scraped because of the Pandemic. Truth be told, this Nava/Valverde match was just a warmup.
