Yoka Valle and Seniesa Estrada Both Win; What’s Next?
By David A. Avila
Costa Rica’s Yokasta Valle cruised to victory to retain the IBF and WBO minimumweight world titles and East L.A.’s Seniesa Estrada defeated the other minimumweight titlist last Saturday to erase any obstacles toward undisputed status.
It sounds clearcut and simple that both will meet this year.
For the past three years Valle has been chasing Estrada to challenge the Southern California-based fighter for whatever titles she held. At first it was the WBA minimumweight title Estrada removed from Anabel Ortiz’s possession with a dominating performance.
Valle saw Estrada emerge the victor.
Then, Estrada challenged and defeated Japan’s Tsunami Tenkai in what is still her toughest fight. Super Bad walked away with the WBO light flyweight title.
Valle again wanted a crack at Estrada.
And now that Estrada defeated Germany’s Tina Rupprecht for the WBC version, and now that Valle has the WBO and IBF titles, it seems no recourse than to meet each other in the prize ring for the richest fight ever in the minimumweight world championship.
Is the chase finally over?
Both Valle and Estrada are 30 years olds but when it comes to experience it was the fighter from East L.A. who has been putting on boxing gloves since age seven. And even at a young age showed remarkable talent.
Experience never seemed to phase Valle. She’s always believed in her incredible athleticism and stamina to enable her to overcome any foe. In 2017, with only 13 pro fights she traveled to Japan to challenge multi-division world champion Naoko Fujioka for the WBO light flyweight title. Though Valle was competitive she lost for the first time.
Next, she traveled to Germany to challenge Tina Rupprecht for the WBC minimumweight title and lost again despite a spirited effort.
In 2019, Valle traveled to Spain to challenge IBF minimumweight titlist Joana Pastrana and was able to outwork the talented Spaniard by split decision. Finally, Valle was a world titlist too. And then she headed to California to try and lure Seniesa Estrada to a showdown.
It didn’t happen.
Estrada had her own game plan and fighting Valle was not part of it. The victor over Marlen Esparza, Maria Santizo and Jazmin Villarino sought to become a multi-division champion at first. But after watching undisputed lightweight champion Katie Taylor and undisputed featherweight champion Amanda Serrano sell out Madison Square Garden a year ago, the East Los Angeles prizefighter changed direction.
“I want to be undisputed world champion,” said Estrada and now has the WBA and WBC minimumweight titles.
In many ways it was good that Valle did not fight Estrada back in 2019. First, Valle was not the multi-talented fighter that she has become since working under trainer Gloria Alvarado. Her victory over Evelyn Bermudez and Jessica Basulto displayed her newly developed fighting skills.
Second, both Valle and Estrada are working with promoters who are able to stage a mega event worthy of their pending clash. Will it be as big as Taylor-Serrano or even the Claressa Shields-Savannah Marshall and Alycia Baumgardner-Mikaela Mayer event in England?
We shall see.
“Who would have thought a little girl from East L.A. would one day be unifying world titles,” said Estrada to ESPN after her win over Rupprecht.
Valle and Estrada are poised to unify if they want it.
More Fight News
Argentina
Florencia Ayelen (11-1) won by technical decision after seven rounds against Juliana Basualdo (10-3) on Saturday March 25. The South American bantamweight title fight took place at Buenos Aires.
Carla Ayelen (11-2) beat Debora Gomez (8-9-2) by decision after 10 rounds on Friday March 24. The South American super flyweight title fight was held at Villa Carlos Paz. Also, super featherweight Laura Griffa (19-8) beat Eliana Orecchia (3-7-1), and super bantamweight Cinthia Gonzalez (2-0) beat Romina Nunez (1-3).
Australia
Ashleigh Sims (1-2-1) defeated Danni Mace (0-3) by technical knockout in the first round on Saturday March 25. The featherweight match was held at Condell Park.
Kate McLaren (3-0-2) beat Kaitlyn Lodge (1-3) by majority decision after six rounds on Friday March 24. The Australian welterweight title fight was held at Windsor.
On Saturday April 1, featherweights Rebecca Hawker (6-0) and Carisse Brown (7-3) meet 10 rounds for a featherweight title at Eatons Hill; Super featherweights Tywarna Campbell (3-1-1) and Angel Rushton (2-1) meet eight rounds.
Austria
Denise Stanojev (7-0) won by decision over Klaudia Ferenczi (20-100-9) after six rounds on Friday March 24. The lightweight fight took place at Maria Enzersdorf. Also, lightweights Nikola Izova (1-0-2) and Nikolina Novakovic (0-0-1) fought to a draw after four rounds.
Bahamas
On Friday March 31, bantamweights Lindsay Garbatt (9-9-2) and Jamie Mitchell (8-1-2) meet 10 rounds for a regional title at Nassau. Also, super featherweights Simone Aparecida (17-22) and Oshae Jones (2-0) meet eight rounds.
Bangladesh
Ruqsana Begum (3-2-1) defeated Tanjila Tanjila (1-1) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds on Tuesday March 21. The flyweight bout took place in Dhaka.
Canada
Leila Beaudoin (9-0) defeated Laura Avendano (6-1) by unanimous decision after six rounds on Thursday March 23. The super featherweight bout took place at Montreal. Cruiserweight Vanessa Lepage (4-1) beat Princess Hairston (2-2-1).
On Thursday March 30, super flyweights Taylah Robertson (7-1) and Jacqueline Mucio (7-11-2) meet eight rounds at Toronto.
Costa Rica
Yokasta Valle (28-2) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Jessica Basulto (11-1) on Saturday March 25. The IBF and WBO minimumweight world title fight took place at Guanacaste. Middleweight Maricela Cornejo (16-4) knocked out Sheila Cuhno (3-1) in the first round; minimumweights Naomy Valles (5-0) beat Maria Lopez Roldan (1-2); Lupita Medina (4-0) beat Heydi Fernandez (0-3).
Finland
Serwa Palani (1-0) won by decision after four rounds versus Marijana Dasovic (0-18-1) on Saturday March 25. The super featherweight bout took place at Jarvenpaa.
Germany
Nina Meinke (16-3) knocked out Angela Cannizzaro (6-19-1) in the second round on Saturday March 25. The featherweight fight took place at Rotherbaum.
Italy
Gloria Peritore (1-0) beat Chiara Insaurralde (0-1) by decision after four rounds on Friday March 24. The bantamweight bout took place at Milan.
Japan
Nana Yamashita (4-1) knocked out Ai Sugimoto (3-4-1) in the fourth round on Friday March 24. The bantamweight contest was held at Tokyo. Also, atomweights Phunnakran Karnjanawong (2-0-1) and Yoko Shiraki (0-1-1) drew; and super bantamweights Sari Ito (2-1-1) and Kei Sugimoto (2-4-1) drew after four rounds.
On Thursday March 30, atomweights Yuko Kuroki (20-7-2) and Nanae Suzuki (11-5-1) meet 10 rounds for the WBO world title at Tokyo. Also, super flyweights Chaoz Minowa (7-4) and Tomoko Okuda (7-4-2) meet eight rounds; flyweights Marina Sayama (5-4-1) and Hoju Maeda (4-0-1) meet six rounds; atomweights Honoka Kano (4-1-2) and Mont Blanc Miki (4-5-1) meet six rounds.
Kazakhstan
Balaussa Muzdiman (2-0) defeated Zukhra Isirailova (0-1) by decision after four rounds on Tuesday March 21. The bantamweight fight took place Almaty.
Mexico
Asley Gonzalez (16-2) won by split decision over Lourdes Juarez (34-4) after 10 rounds on Saturday March 25. The WBC super flyweight world title match was held at Tepic. Also, super flyweight Adelaida Ruiz (13-0-1) knocked out Maria Del Angel Diaz (4-4) in the first round.
Sabrina Persona (2-0) beat Venus Verdugo (0-1) by decision after four rounds on Friday March 24. The super middleweight contest took place in Tijuana.
Norway
On Saturday April 1, bantamweights Inna Statkevych (4-3) and Liubov Oksha (0-0) meet six rounds at Narva.
South Africa
Abongile Lubambo (1-0-1) won by majority decision after six rounds versus Sinesipho Mve (1-1-1) on Sunday March 26. The lightweight fight took place at Mthatha.
Unathi Sityoto (1-1) knocked out Sinesipho Poni (0-2) in the fourth round on Saturday March 25. The minimumweight match was held at Port Alfred.
Spain
Eva Cantos (6-13-1) defeated Almudena Alvarez (3-1) by split decision after five rounds on Saturday March 25. The featherweight match was held at Casarrubuelos.
Davinia Perez (7-3) beat Yaiza Souto (0-5) by decision after four rounds on Saturday March 25. The super bantamweight fight took place at Las Palmas.
Tanzania
On Wednesday March 29, bantamweights Egine Kayange (6-4) and Yusra Ramadhani (0-2) meet six rounds at Bagamoyo. Also, middleweights Nargis Selemani (2-0) and Diana Raymond (0-1) meet four rounds; lightweights Rehema Abdallah (8-0-1) and Loveness William (0-0) meet four rounds.
On Thursday March 30, welterweights Amna Mohammed (0-1) and Nadia Fredy (0-1) meet six rounds at Dar es Salaam.
Thailand
Nantachat Wanpeng (3-0) knocked out Tanatchapond Hemakomkit (0-1) in the second round on Sunday March 26. The featherweight fight took place at Pathum Thani. Also, super featherweight Noppaket Srisawas (1-0) knocked out Nualnapa Chanowannaphu (0-1) in the third round.
Saowaluk Nareepangsri (16-21) defeated Arisara Wisetwongsa (3-4) by decision after eight rounds on Saturday March 25. The Thai super flyweight title fight took place at Pathum Thani. Also, featherweight Skye Falzon (4-2) knocked out Somwang Sawinchai (2-7-1) in the second round; super featherweight Taylah Gentzen (2-0) knocked out Anchalee Mankong (2-8) in the second round.
United Kingdom
Emma Dolan (5-0) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Halima Vunjabei (11-10-1) on Saturday March 25. The Commonwealth super flyweight title match was held at Newark.
Raven Chapman (6-0) beat Linda Lecca (15-6-2) by decision after 10 rounds on Saturday March 25. The regional featherweight title fight took place at Telford.
Kariss Artingstall (3-0) won by decision after six rounds against Linzi Buczynskyj (4-2) on Saturday March 25. The super featherweight match was held at Manchester.
Katharina Thanderz (16-1) defeated Ioana Fecioru (4-1) after eight rounds on Friday March 24. The super lightweight fight took place at Bolton. Also, flyweight Chloe Watson (5-0) beat Romina Sosa (3-2-4).
On Friday March 31, featherweights Sophie Alisch (8-0) and Bec Connolly (3-18) meet six rounds in London.
On Saturday April 1, super flyweights Marie Connan (4-2) and Ivanka Ivanova (5-22-3) meet six rounds at Cheshunt, England.
On Saturday April 1, super lightweights Laura Wilson (0-0) and Bojana Libiszewska (7-53) meet six rounds at Houghton.
USA
Seniesa Estrada (24-0) won by unanimous decision after 10 rounds versus Tina Rupprecht (12-1-1) on Saturday March 25. The WBC and WBA world title match was held in Fresno, California.
Colleen Davis (2-0-1) won by decision after four rounds against Jessica Emerick (1-1-1) on Saturday March 25. The super featherweight bout was held at Murrysville, Penn.
Jaime Clampitt (24-6-2) defeated Taynna Cardoso 5-3) by decision after eight rounds on Saturday March 25. The lightweight match was held at Cranston, Rhode Island.
On Saturday April 1, lightweights Shamara Woods (0-0) and Sarah Click (1-2-1) meet four rounds at Orlando, Florida.
On Saturday April 1, lightweights Destiny Jones (3-1) and Clarice Morales (0-1-1) meet six rounds at Houston, Texas.
On Saturday April, featherweights Pearl Gonzalez (2-0) and Gina Mazany (0-0) meet six rounds at Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Also, bantamweights Bi Nguyen (0-0) and Andy Nguyen (0-0) meet four rounds; lightweights Danielle Cohen (0-0) and Danielle Wynn (0-1) meet four rounds.
Uruguay
On Saturday April 1, super featherweights Elizabeth Cabrera (2-0) and Florencia Zalazar (3-0) meet six rounds at Montevideo.
(Photo by Kevin Lojas)