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Lightweight Oscar Duarte dropped Guillermo Avila twice en route to a knockout win in round 4 Saturday night at the Studios Televisa in Mexico City.
With the victory, Duarte improves to 20-1, 15 knockouts.
Duarte had not fought since March 7, when he knocked out Andres Garcia in round 5 in his hometown of Parral, Chihuahua. Duarte entered the Avila fight having won his previous four bouts, all by knockout, since suffering his only loss as a pro at the hands of Adrian Estrella on February 9 of last year.
Avila entered the fight having won four of his previous six bouts.
About midway through the opening round, Duarte dropped Avila with a right cross to the head. To his credit, Avila was able to get up and fight back, choosing to stay in the pocket as Duarte landed the more-effective punches throughout the fight.
Duarte continued to break Avila down over the next couple of rounds. With the less than a minute left in round 4, Duarte dropped Avila with another right hand to the head. Avila remained on the canvas as he was counted out at 2:41.
The 24-year-old Duarte is co-promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Cancun Boxing. He has also fought previously on a handful of Promociones Del Pueblo cards.
Avila, who resides in Tijuana, Mexico, drops to 19-10, 14 KOs.
In the co-feature, Lourdes Juarez of Mexico City earned a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Guadalupe Martinez Guzman.
Scores were 97-93, 97-93, and 96-93 for Juarez, who improves to 31-2, 4 KOs and won the WBC Female junior bantamweight title.
Martinez was attempting to defend her world title belt for the fifth time, while Juarez was fighting for a world title for the first time in her career that began in October 2013.
From the opening bell, both traded combinations and punches in the pocket, rarely backing away to gather themselves. Instead, the ebb-and-flow continued into the middle rounds, where each traded combinations that mostly landed to the head.
Martinez continued to throw, but they were mostly arm punches that did connect. Juarez fought more in spurts, but her punches were more effective and she looked as though she was the least tired of the two fighters.
Martinez, who resides in nearby Tlalnepantla, drops to 20-10, 6 KOs. The 28-year-old Martinez had won her previous eight bouts.
Saturday’s card was the last of 2021 for Promociones Del Pueblo.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for BoxingScene since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (Calif.) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing