Junior welterweight contender Arnold Barboza Jr. waited nearly 10 years as a pro to make his main event debut, and he took full advantage of the opportunity.
Barboza (27-0, 10 KOs), from South El Monte, California, grinded down Danielito Zorrilla to win a 10-round unanimous decision in front of a sold-out crowd of 2,836 Friday evening at Pechanga Resort Casino. Ranked No. 8 by the WBO at 140 pounds, he prevailed by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 2x.
Barboza returned from an 11-month layoff in vintage form, wearing down Zorrilla with a consistent body attack and well-placed right hands. Zorrilla (16-1, 12 KOs), down big on the cards, summoned one final charge in the 10th round. He landed a crisp right hand that wobbled Barboza, creating one very anxious moment for the Southern California standout. Barboza composed himself and held on for win number 27.
Barboza said, “I was a little rusty. It’s been a while. I’m not going to be inactive like that no more, man. I’m going to be fighting constantly.
“I was more off balance {in the 10th round}. I was right there. Once you saw me off balance, I was right back to my thing. Shout out to my conditioning. My conditioning was on point.
“My manager knows, if we can’t get a title shot, you know who it is. We want Teofimo. It’s either a title shot or him.”
Muratalla Dominates Valtierra
Lightweight sensation Raymond “Danger” Muratalla (15-0, 12 KOs) shut out the game Jair Valtierra (16-2, 8 KOs) over eight rounds by identical scores of 80-71. Muratalla, from Fontana, California, dropped Valtierra with a left hook in the fourth.
Muratalla landed 133 power punches to 20 for Valtierra, but saw his nine-bout knockout streak end.
Muratalla pressed for the knockout in the eighth round, but the stubborn Valtierra fired back and saw the final bell.
“I did OK. I felt like I was a little bit sloppy. I could’ve done a lot better. There are better days to come,” Muratalla said. “I just want to stay active, keep fighting, and whatever opponents they bring to me, they bring to me. I just want to get to the top, and I’m going to keep fighting and fighting.”
Torrez Jr. Stops Zavala Jr. in 58 Seconds
Heavyweight U.S. Olympic silver medalist Richard Torrez Jr. (2-0, 2 KOs) wasted little time, stopping Roberto Zavala Jr. (2-2-1, 2 KOs) at 58 seconds of the opening round. Torrez pressed forward and backed Zavala Jr. into the blue corner, unleashing a combination that prompted Eddie Hernandez Sr. to wave it off.
Torrez Jr. returns Aug. 27 on the ESPN-televised undercard of the Jose Pedraza-Richard Commey main event in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Torrez Jr. said, “I want to thank Top Rank for keeping me active and giving me the platform to showcase my talents. Every fight is a learning experience, and I can’t wait until August 27 in Tulsa.”
In other results:
Heavyweight: Stephan Shaw (17-0, 13 KOs) KO 1 Bernardo Marquez (14-5-1, 10 KOs), 2:35. “Big Shot” Shaw lived up to the billing with an explosive power burst that dropped Marquez three times in less than three minutes. Shaw, from St. Louis, ended the evening with a chopping right hand that dropped Marquez to the canvas. Shaw is 2-0 in 2022 since signing a co-promotional pact with Top Rank.
Junior Featherweight: Floyd Diaz (6-0, 2 KOs) KO 3 Pedro Salome (3-1-1, 1 KO), 1:17. Four weeks after improving to 5-0, Diaz returned with a power flourish. After a competitive opening round, Diaz turned the tables in the second round and floored Salome with an overhand right in the third. Referee Daniel Sandoval waved off the fight after a three-punch combination staggered Salome.
Welterweight: Adrian Yung (28-7-3, 22 KOs) DRAW 6 Jorge Marron Jr. (20-3-2, 7 KOs). Scores: 59-55 Yung and 57-57 2x. Yung, who was originally supposed to fight Muratalla, was not fazed by the late-notice opponent. Marron, who hails from San Diego, brought a sizable cheering contingent but had to settle for his second consecutive draw.
Featherweight: Austin Brooks (7-0, 2 KOs) UD 4 Victor Saravia. (1-3, 1 KO). Scores: 40-36 3x.
