By: Sean Crose
Marlen Esparza, the 21-1 WBA and WBC flyweight titlist, took on the 19-1-1 Eva Guzman Saturday night at Fort Worth’s Dickies’ Arena. The fight was scheduled for ten two minute rounds. Esparza went for the immediate win right off the bat, swinging a punch with bad intentions at Guzman’s head. Guzman, on the other hand, spent the round employing a southpaw jab. The second round saw Guzman fighting well, though Esparza looked a bit stronger. Guzman, however, may have taken the third by being the more active fighter.
Both fighters zipped off shots at one another in an entertaining fourth. The fifth was a complete slugfest, with Esparza seeming to have the slight edge. Esparza controlled the fifth with sharper punching. By the sixth it started to appear as if Guzman was neither big nor strong enough to defeat the defending champion. Still, the aggressive challenger continued to let Esparza know she was in a real fight in the seventh. The bout remained a high octane affair through the eighth.
Although not as skilled as the defending champion, Guzman remained aggressive and energetic in the ninth. The final round was one where Guzman really took the fight to Esparza. It wasn’t enough, however, as Esparza walked out of the ring with a unanimous decision win.