Top Flyweight Contender Kenia Enriquez Wins by KO
By David A. Avila
For the first time in four years Tijuana’s Kenia Enriquez anxiously fought in front of her hometown fans and knocked out Nora Cardoza on Friday night.
Enriquez (25-1, 11 Kos) returned as a flyweight and battered Cardoza for two rounds at the Grand Hotel in Tijuana to show why she was avoided for more than four years the light flyweight division.
She moved up to the 112-pund flyweight division and looks to be stronger than ever.
Cardoza, a veteran of 28 professional bouts, had only been stopped once and that was 12 years ago against former world champion Yesica Chavez. Both fighters were very familiar with one another.
Enriquez recently celebrated her 29th birthday and was anxious to return to the prize ring. She fought this past May and won by technical knockout over Gabriela Saavedra. Before that, she had not fought in more than 16 months.
An anxious Enriquez immediately went to work and attacked Cardoza’s body with lefts and rights. Down went Cardoza in the first round, but she survived.
In the second round Enriquez immediately advanced looking for a knockout. She traded blows with Cardoza and fired combinations to the body and head. A shot to the chin sent Cardoza wobbling and down to the mat. She could not continue.
“I trained hard for this knockout,” said Enriquez.
The former flyweight world titlist and interim light flyweight titlist is ranked number one in the flyweight division by several sanctioning organizations including the IBF. On Saturday, just across the border in San Diego, Argentina’s Leonela Yudica and Mexico’s Arely Mucino will battle for the flyweight world title. The winner will be probably face Enriquez.
“I’m going to San Diego tomorrow to watch,” Enriquez said. “If Arely Mucino wins I hope to fight her.”
After her win, she met Cardoza and both exchanged pleasantries. Cardoza professed to be a fan of the Tijuana fighter and Enriquez said she watched Cardoza’s pro fights when she began fighting professionally.
(Photo by Sintesis tv)