Yokasta Valle has taken the lead within the new period for the strawweight division.
The three-division titlist has entered her second 105-pound reign after a repeat win over Mexico’s Elizabeth López Corzo. Valle received by scores of 100-89, 98-92 and 98-91 Friday at Camara de Ganaderos in Liberia, Guanacaste, Costa Rica.
With the victory, Valle (32-3, 10 knockouts) claimed the vacant WBC strawweight title.
“Thanks Costa Rica, that is for you,” San Jose’s Valle exclaimed after the ESPN Knockout headliner.
It wasn’t straightforward to start with for Costa Rica’s boxing queen. Valle, No. 1 at 105 and No. 8 pound-for-pound by The Ring, was pressured to regulate to the aggressive strategy of Lopez (11-7-5, 2 KOs) within the early rounds. It was not dissimilar to their Dec. 2021 assembly, received by Valle in one in all her 9 IBF strawweight title defenses.
Valle, 32, was credited with a second spherical knockdown. Nevertheless, she was simply as stunned by the decision as was her opponent. What was an obvious push and slip as a substitute produced an eight depend from the referee. Lopez pointed to the middle ring emblem as her protest fell on deaf ears.
It didn’t deter the visiting challenger from making use of fixed stress. Lopez continued to come back straight at Valle within the third, although she landed little or no as soon as there.
Valle settled right into a groove within the fourth spherical and by no means actually regarded again. Her clear, mixture punching was the distinction over the lengthy haul. Lopez wildly flung punches, whereas Valle threw basic one-twos.
The native favourite let her palms go in rounds six and 7. A flurry of punches left Lopez on the defensive as Valle started to pile up her lead.
Valle related with a left hook upstairs. She discovered herself on the canvas, slipping without any consideration hand landed on Lopez. The referee correctly waved off the sequence as a slip.
The group’s power fueled Valle within the closing rounds, as she continued to beat Lopez to the punch. Lopez plowed ahead, often head first and trying to land proper palms excessive. Valle was ready each time and infrequently related with a jab or a straight proper hand.
The 2 embraced at middle ring at battle’s finish, although the decision was clear. Lopez knew it, as she fell to 0-4-1 in main title fights.
Valle now enters her fourth profession title reign throughout three weight divisions. She beforehand held the IBF atomweight and IBF/WBO junior flyweight titles.
The guts of her title-fight expertise got here throughout her IBF strawweight run. She made 9 profitable defenses of the belt she held since Aug. 2019.
Her memorable run included a Sept. 2022 win over unbeaten Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen in her San Jose hometown. Valle defended the IBF belt and received the WBO title of their unification bout.
She adopted the feat by lifting the IBF and WBO 108-pound titles from Evelin Bermudez lower than three months later. Valle solely held the titles for a couple of weeks earlier than she returned to strawweight.
Three extra defenses adopted earlier than Valle’s divisional summit assembly with Estrada. Their memorable March 29 RING/undisputed championship conflict noticed Estrada prevail through unanimous determination.
It turned out to be the final ever battle for Estrada, who introduced her retirement in late October. Valle wished her longtime rival nicely however left the door open for a rematch ought to she determine to battle once more.
“Every time she is able to return, I’d be delighted to offer her the chance for a rematch,” Valle instructed The Ring. “It’s a battle that folks actually wish to see once more.
“Till then, I’ll deal with my targets and proceed to push myself in direction of extra world titles.”
Yet another is now in Valle’s assortment.