Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Oscar Valdez (18-0, 14 KOs) defeated Chris Avalos (26-3, 19 KOs) at the Chelsea Arena at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Friday, September 11, 2015.
The fight, promoted by Top Rank, delivered on its promise for a ferocious match-up.
Rising talent and former Olympic contender Valdez and his opponent Avalos left their corners swinging, firing blows relentlessly to the head and body.
The flow of punches back and forth made singling out who had the lead difficult, although Valdez managed to connect a few shots to the head near the end of Round 1.
The mutual barrage spilled over into Round 2. Neither fighter could maintain a lead at this point, with one seeming to pull off a sudden upset, only to lock up when met with the same treatment.
Slowly, though, Valdez emerged as the hunter, manhandling Avalos onto the ropes for a sound crack to the ribs and face. Round 3 saw “The Hitman” Avalos taper off in aggression and energy, leaving himself open for Valdez to floor with a body blow.
Photo by Mikey Williams/Top Rank
“Hitman” swiftly got back up on his feet for Round 4, hungrily duking it out in several clashes around the ring, but the proverbial writing was on the wall. Visibly exhausted, by Round 5, Avalos could merely stand as Valdez volleyed punches into his face.
“The Hitman” soon wobbled into the referee’s arms, stirring an excited roar from the audience and the press box. The referee ruled the fight a TKO 1 minute and 70 seconds into Round 5, although Bruce Beck of TruTV noted the fight “could’ve ended earlier.” No one was more surprised about the sudden knockout than Valdez himself.
“I actually thought I was going to the distance in this match,” said Valdez. “Just little by little, started I wearing down. I wasn’t expecting it, but in boxing, sometimes you gotta risk taking him out, or going the distance.”
Persistence aside, Avalos could not overcome Valdez and his unyielding attack style, wearing down visibly by the bout’s end.
“I felt I was doing good since the first round,” Valdez said. “We knew exactly what he was going to do,” referring to Avalos’ preference on his right hand.” I just kept throwing that jab. I could’ve gone all ten rounds with that jab.”
