Diana “Bonita” Fernandez vs Noemi Bosques This Saturday in Cross Roads Fight
By Felipe Leon
The term “cross roads fight” gets thrown quite a bit in boxing. Known as a fight where the winner goes to bigger and better things while the loser pretty much falls off to the lower rung of their careers, some of the times the term does not actually pertain to the fight.
This Saturday night in Ciudad Juarez in Mexico and live on the biggest network south of the border Televisa on prime time, local favorite Diana “Bonita”Fernandez (16-2, 3KO) takes on veteran Noemi Bosques (11-10-3, 2KO) over 10 rounds for the vacant WBC International flyweight title.
The fight marks the first for Fernandez under the banner of her new promoter, Promociones del Pueblo, while it is a third time Bosques travels south from her home in Saint Petersburg, Florida, and fights in Mexico. An international warrior, the fight is also the fifth time the 34-year-old Puerto Rican fighter stamps her passport for a bout in a different country.
“She is a fighter with a lot of experience,” Fernandez of Ciudad Juarez said of her next opponent. “She has fought the best in the world. She is very brave and her style is an attractive one for the fans. I am going to take advantage of that and develop my fight.”
As far as Bosques, she is sure Fernandez doesn’t do anything she hasn’t seen before.
“This girl is pretty good,” Bosques recently stated to Nat Wilkins of Brooklynfights.com. “A good amateur background and some fights against really good fighters. She could be a threat but I don’t think she’ll be able to have a lot of power, she likes to box around.”
If there is one thing Bosques is, it is experienced.
Since going professional in 2012 the mother of one has amassed 24 fights facing some of the best fighters in her division and plenty of times those outside of it.
After competing around the 112-118 pound range for the majority of her early career, Bosques made a huge jump in weight and perhaps in competition when she gave current WBC International champ Heather Hardy all she could handle back in in May of 2015. Bosques lost a hotly contested split decision.
After stringing two wins, Bosques went back to New York in late 2015 to take on Hardy again at super bantamweight and lost a unanimous decision. It is to be noted that for the rematch Hardy weighed nearly six pounds more than Bosques at the scale.
After that loss Bosques has gone a bit on a downward spiral, losing three straight, although two of those to world-class opposition and all of them outside of the United States. The first in early of 2016 Bosques dropped a unanimous decision to then WBC super flyweight champion Mariana Juarez in Mexico City, two months later in New Zealand Bosques lost a majority decision to local Michelle Preston, and in June of the same year, Bosques went to China to drop a unanimous decision to fellow veteran Alesia Graf.
A win against Amaris Adorno back in home in St. Petersburg came before three more losses and a draw. The defeats were against Rosalina Rodriguez for the NABF bantamweight title, to Lourdes Juarez via a TKO and to Sonia Osorio in a four rounder.
The Puerto Rican is the only fighter to have faced both Juarez sisters in the pro ranks. “Mariana is and will be one of the best fighters in female boxing. It was an honor for me to face her. Her sister Lourdes also beat me and that was a bad fight for me. ‘Lulu’ did well and was willing to do what it took to win. Maybe one day I can face them both again until then I wish them the best.”
Bosques has gone on the record to say instead of having a perfect record she would rather make money and travel the world with her boxing paying the bills. That is clearly apparent in her much to be desired record but also on her stamped passport. The fact she always puts on a good fight is why she is called back.
“We are training very hard for this fight,” Bosques recently stated. “We know it won’t be easy since Fernandez will be at home and will have all the support. I have a dream to be a world champion and I need that belt to get there. With my experience and preparation we are going to go back home with my hand raised.”
Despite 18 fights under her belt, the 23-year-old Fernandez isn’t nearly as experienced as her next opponent jumping to the world class level only two fights ago. In August of last year Fernandez traveled down to Argentina to challenge IBF super flyweight champion Debora Anahi Dionicius. Despite a valiant effort, Fernandez lost a unanimous decision.
In her last fight against now stable mate Lourdes Juarez, younger sister of Mariana and the only common opponent with Bosques, Fernandez lost a split decision for the WBC FECOMBOX title last November.
“I can almost guarantee that the title stays in Ciudad Juarez,” said Fernandez regarding the regional green and gold strap in play Saturday night. “I owe my hometown fans and I am not going to disappoint. We have worked very hard to get a title opportunity at home and I will do even the impossible to keep it.”
During the final press conference this week Bosques was uncharacteristically aggressive in her comments. “I am here to take away her beauty and take the title home. I have the will and the experience to be a champion.”
Fernandez was not short on her words either towards her next opponent.
“I am very excited to face my second foreign opponent,” Fernandez stated. “She can say what she wants but the title stays in Juarez. I expect to win my first title because once in the ring I turn into another person, I am more aggressive.”
Bosques definitely needs this win because despite her record, she is still getting the calls to be featured on television in Mexico and in important fights in other destinations around the world. As far as Fernandez, with a loss here although against a tough opponent in Bosques, it will prove that perhaps she is not what her new promoter thinks she is at least at the world level.
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