Marlen Esparza Decisively Outclasses Anabel Ortiz
Marlen Esparza (11-1, 1 KOs) wanted to make a statement during the first defense of the WBC world women’s flyweight title against former WBA world women’s female minimumweight champion Anabel Ortiz (31-5, 4 KOs) At the AT&T Center in San Antonio, Texas.
2021 has been a breakthrough year for Esparza, but not without its set of trials. A former 2012 Olympian, the 32-year-old won her first professional world title. In June 2021, Esparza defeated Ibeth Zamora Silva to capture the women’s WBC belt at 112. But in what was a tightly contested affair, Esparza was knocked down and had to gut out a hard-earned win.
She now faced Ortiz, who has been a mainstay at the smaller weights for over a decade. The 36-year-old won the WBA 105 pound title in July of 2013. She reigned for nearly eight years and twelve title defenses before losing the belt to Seniesa Estrada in March of 2021. A true vet with seventeen world title fights on her resume, she moved up ten pounds in hopes of winning a second world title.
ON HER GAME
Esparza is usually a fighter who throws with high volume. However, she began this contest pumping a shotgun jab, looking to establish herself as the boss. The challenger looked to sit back and counter-punch. With thirty seconds to go in round two, the champ was credited with a knockdown. But upon further replay, it was more of a pushdown from a missed left hook instead of a legit knockdown.
CONTROVERSIAL CALLS
Round four saw Esparza box more from the outside. With thirty seconds to go in the round, she was credited with a second knockdown. But, replays showed it came from yet another push-down following a missed punch! Referee Angel Mendez was having an off-night. That aside, the champ was in excellent form.
SIZE MATTERS
Behind on points, Ortiz started to push the pace in the middle rounds. She was able to get home with some solid right hands. However, she was unable to hurt the naturally larger opponent. Esparza kept working behind the jab at the center-ring, making sure to mix her shots to the head and body.
In the end, Esparza was too big, too strong, and too sharp as she won by unanimous decision (100-88, 95-94, 99-90). Going into 2022, her goal is a rematch with the only woman to defeat her as a pro, Seniesa Estrada.
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By: Michael Wilson Jr.
