Tag: Ruben Villa

Emanuel Navarrete, Jessie Magdaleno could fight for 126-pound title

The WBO is planning to order a fight between Emanuel Navarrete and Jessie Magdaleno for its vacant featherweight title.

Emanuel Navarrete and Jessie Magdaleno could be on a collision course.

The WBO is planning to order a fight between No. 1-ranked Navarrete and No. 2 Magdaleno for its vacant featherweight title, BoxingScene.com is reporting.

WBO president Francisco Valcarcel said No. 3 Ruben Villa would step in if either Navarrete or Magdaleno can’t or won’t take part in the title fight. Travel restrictions can be a complicating factor during the coronavirus pandemic.

Valcarcel seems to be assuming that the title fight would take place in the U.S. Navarrete is in Mexico.

“We will touch base with Top Rank since both Navarrete and Magdaleno are promoted by them. We’ll then order the fight,” Valcarcel told BoxingScene.com.

He went on: “I know Ruben Villa is available. I already talked to Banner Promotions head Artie Pelullo. We will for sure announce it by the end of the week. Top Rank is busy right now with the shows in the bubble in Las Vegas. I don’t want to disturb them right now.”

Magdaleno’s manager, Frank Espinoza, told BoxingScene.com that his client wants the Navarrete fight.

“That’s a fight we want,” he said. “It will be a great battle. It will be interesting to see if the fight happens in the bubble or not, but I would like the fight to take place no later than September and October.

“It’s not going to be an easy fight, but we’re really motivated. My guy can prevail.”

Shakur Stevenson recently vacated the WBO 126-pound title and moved up to 130. Navarrete did the same recently, giving up his 122-pound belt. Magdaleno lost his junior featherweight title to Issac Dogboe in April 2018.

Navarette (31-1, 27 KOs) and Magdaleno  (28-1, 18 KOs) have both fought during the pandemic. Navarette stopped Uriel Lopez in six rounds in Mexico on June 20, and Magdaleno defeated Yenifel Vicente by disqualification on June 11 in the MGM Grand bubble in Las Vegas.

Villa (18-0, 5 KOs) is coming off a unanimous-decision victory over Alexei Collado on Jan. 31.

Ruben Villa outclasses Alexei Collado, closer to title shot

Ruben Villa enhanced his featherweight credentials with his tactical skill in a decision over Cuban Alexei Collado on Friday.

Ruben Villa continues to be a prospect likable for what he does in the ring. And out of it.

Villa, who honored the memory of Kobe Bryant by wearing the Laker legend’s No. 8 jersey in his walk to the ring, enhanced his featherweight credentials with a thorough implementation of tactical skill in a decision over Cuban Alexei Collado Friday night on ShoBox in Shreveport, Louisiana.

It was unanimous on the cards and dominating in every other way.

“I feel like I put on a good show,’’ said Villa (18-0, 5 KOs), a Salinas, California fighter who was 2-2 as an amateur against featherweight champion and 2016 Olympic silver medalist Shakur Stevenson.

It was a show of potential that promises to put Villa, a two-time National Golden Gloves champion, closer to a shot at a 126-pound belt, perhaps later this year.

“He was a big knockout puncher, and he’s no pushover,’’ Villa said of Collado.

Collado, who lives in Miami, had no argument with the cards – 98-92, 99-91, 98-92, all for Villa.

“He moves a lot, and he’s a smart fighter,’’ Collado said. “I feel like when I threw a lot, I hit him. But I wasn’t active enough.”

In a co-main event, Ukrainian welterweight Taras Shelestyuk (18-0, 10 KOs), a 2012 Olympic Bronze medalist, scored a unanimous decision over Luis Alberto Veron (18-2-2, 9 KOs) of Argentina.

Ruben Villa, former amateur star, fighting way into title mix

Former amateur star Ruben Villa hopes his fight against Alexei Collado on Friday on ShoBox is another step toward title contention.

Ruben Villa is introducing himself to fans as someone to watch. He’s a potential contender, a featherweight trying to fight his way into the title mix.

But Villa needs no introduction to a featherweight already with a title. Shakur Stevenson knows him, knows him well.

As an amateur, Villa went 2-2 against Stevenson, who faces Miguel Marriaga on March 14 at New York’s Madison Square Garden in the first defense of a 126-pound belt he won in a unanimous decision over Joet Gonzalez on Oct. 26.

“It was back in 2015 and 2016 before he went on to the (2016) Olympics and won a silver medal,’’ said Villa (17-0, 5 KOs), who hopes to add a victory to his credentials as a prospect Friday night against Cuban Alexei Collado (26-2, 23 KOs) on Showtime’s ShoBox at Hirsch Memorial Coliseum in Shreveport, Louisiana. “I knew then that I was fighting somebody special. I knew it wouldn’t take him long to win a world title.’’

Villa, of Salinas, California, says he continues to learn from his amateur experience against Stevenson, who at 22 is a couple of months younger than Villa.

“I like the way he counters, I like the way he boxes,’’ said Villa, who says he has been concentrating on improving his own counter punching in training for the dangerous Collada.

“Collado is a real strong aggressive guy,’’ said Villa, who also beat Devin Haney, a current lightweight champion, in the Junior Olympics in 2014. “He’s a veteran. I have to be cautious because of his power and play it very smart on our end.”

Villa hopes the Collado bout is the first of three in 2020.

“By the end of the year,” he said, “I’m hoping to fight my way into spot for a mandatory shot at a world title.’’