Jackie Nava Schools Karina Fernandez During Ten Round Decision Win

Boxing’s Mexican Princess Proving She Nonetheless Has One thing Left within the Tank

On the subject of ladies’s boxing, Claressa Shields calls herself the GWOAT. Nevertheless, if there’s a modern-day feminine boxing legend, that will be Jackie Nava (37-4-4, 16 KO’s). The 40-year-old from Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico started her skilled profession in Could 2001. 2005 was a historic 12 months for the lady recognized all through Mexican boxing circles as “La Princesa Azteca”. February of that 12 months noticed her seize the vacant WBA Ladies’s World Bantamweight title by TKO’ing Martha Leticia Arevalo. Three months later, she defeated Leona Brown to win the inaugural vacant WBC Ladies’s World Bantamweight title.

She defended the WBC title twice earlier than shedding the belt to Alejandra Marina Oliveras in Could 2006. It’s the solely time Nava has ever been stopped as a professional, however you may’t preserve a superb girl down. Transferring as much as junior featherweight, she turned the ladies’s World WBC ‘Interim’ World champion in 2010.

In January of 2012, she dominated Chanttall Martinez to win the WBA ladies’s world title at 122-pounds. After three defenses, she defeated Sayda Mosquera to turn into the unified WBA/WBC ladies’s world champ in December 2014. After making one protection of the unified belts in February 2015, she took a two-year hiatus. Although not a world champion, the princess of Mexican boxing has saved up her successful methods. Nava has not misplaced since 2011.

Karina “La Bella” Fernandez (14-6-1, 3 KOs) is not any slouch. The 30-year-old Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua, Mexico, grew up watching Nava. Of her 5 earlier defeats, three have come to both former or present world champions.

Nava and Fernandez headlined a Field Azteca card on the Grand Lodge in Tijuana, Mexico. It was a scheduled ten-round contest.

CLASH OF STYLES

This was a match of the expert and clean boxing Nava versus the aggressive Fernandez. With age and expertise, Nava likes to check her opponents, then go to work. True to kind, Hernandez began the battle on the assault. She was capable of land with some pictures and even marked the veteran up.

Nevertheless, Nava is cool as a cucumber and slick as a whistle. She has seen all of it and was by no means flustered. Every time she obtained hit, she smiled in acknowledgment. What makes her so particular is her craftsmanship. Her jab is as educated as any fighter within the sport, males or ladies. She popped Fernandez with that shot to the pinnacle and physique.

A TRUE PROFESSIONAL

The previous champ additionally nonetheless has nice foot and higher physique motion. When Fernandez would bore in, Nava would slip the punches then take a ½ step again at an angle to create room for counters.

When a fighter is aware of the best way to use their palms to distract, then instantly shoot with 2, 3, 4 punch mixtures, that’s old-school techniques. Nava did that to Fernandez early and infrequently. As soon as the previous champ obtained warmed up within the third and fourth rounds, the category and expertise began to point out. Whereas ten years older, Nava additionally sported the sooner palms and ft.

Because the battle carried on, Nava started to dominate the center and late rounds. She was having enjoyable in there and doing what she needed. Ultimately, she coasted to a cushty unanimous choice (100-90, 99-91, 97-93) victory.

The place Nava goes from right here is now the query. There was an often-talked showdown in opposition to rival Mariana Juarez. Nevertheless, on October 31, 2020, Juarez misplaced the WBC Ladies’s World Bantamweight title to Yulihan Alejandra Luna Avila. A Nava-Juarez matchup has now misplaced quite a lot of its luster.

In opposition to Fernandez, Nava confirmed she nonetheless has it in her to make one final world title run. Will probably be attention-grabbing what would be the subsequent transfer for the Mexican nice.

By: Michael Wilson Jr.

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