At the Bubble, MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV, Friday Top Rank Boxing – Bob Arum and Banner Promotions – Art Pelullo featured WBO World Super Bantamweight champion Emmanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete scoring a pair of knockdowns defeating Ruben “RV4” Villa over 12 rounds in the Main Event for the vacant WBO World Featherweight title.

In the Main Event WBO World Super Bantam champ No. 1 Feather Emmanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete, 32-1 (27), #126, of San Juan Zitlaltepec, Distrito Federal, MEX, defeated No. 2 ranked southpaw Ruben “RV4” Villa, 18-1 (5), #125, of Salinas, CA, scoring a pair of knockdowns for the vacant WBO World Featherweight title, 12 rounds.

In the first round though a usual slow starter Navarrete landed a left uppercut to the chin of Villa and down he went for an 8-count by referee Russell Mora in the last 20 seconds of the round. In the second round Villa got back in the fight ending the final ten seconds with some good right hooks to the chin of Navarrete. In the fourth round a left from Navarrete on the chin of Villa late in the round and down he went for a second time for an 8-count from referee Mora.

In the fifth round Navarrete chased Villa trying for a knockout as he predicted in five but couldn’t pull it off though winning the round. In the sixth through the eighth round Navarrete took every round chasing Villa down. In the ninth round Villa was still in there and ended the round well.

In the tenth round Navarrete chased Villa and ran into a combination on the chin halfway through the round. It was a good round for Villa. It is too little too late. In the eleventh round Villa continued boxing well taking another round. In the twelfth and final round Navarrete came out swinging wildly trying for a knockout but Villa countered him well finishing well taking the last four rounds.

Scores were Cheatham and DeLuca 114-112 and Morse Jarman 115-111 as did this writer.

“I would like to fight IBF champ Josh Warrington next” said Navarrete.

In the co-feature Middleweight Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, 9-0 (5), #159 1/2, of KAZ and Oxnard, CA, knocked out southpaw Gonzalo “El Mago” Gaston Coria, 16-4 (6), #158 1/2, of Cordoba, ARG, at 0:59 of the second round of a scheduled 10 rounds.

In the first round Alimkhanuly scored a knockdown. In the second round Alimkhanuly scored a straight left on the chin of Coria knocking him out.

Middleweight Lorenzo “Truck” Simpson, 9-0 (5), #156, of Baltimore, MD, defeated Sanny “Sonny Prime Time” Duversonne, 11-1-2 (8), #154 ľ, of Avon Park, FL, over 8 rounds.

In the fifth round Duversonne scored a knockdown. Scores were 78-73 twice and 79-73.

Super Lightweight southpaw Elvis Rodriguez, 10-0-1 (109), #141 1/2, of Santo Domingo, DR, knocked out Cameron “Suave” Krael, 17-17-3 (4), #141 Ľ, of Las Vegas, NV, at 0:53 of the third round of a scheduled 8 rounds.

In the third round a right hook from Rodriguez to the side of the head and Krael was down and out.

Lightweight Bryan Lua, 7-0 (3), #131 1/2, of Madera, CA, defeated Nelson Colon, 4-4 (3), #131 1/2, of Cayey, PR, 6 rounds.

Scores 60-54.

Featherweight Rashiem Jefferson, 3-0 (2), #123 ľ, of Philadelphia, PA, defeated Steve Garagarza, 2-2-1 (0), #123 1/2, of Laredo, TX, over 4 rounds.

Scores were 40-36.

Super Welterweight Kahshad Elliott, 1-0 (1), #152 ľ, of Plainfield, NJ, knocked out Akeem Jackson, 1-3 (1), of Brandon Cisneros, 0-1 (0), of MEX and NC, at 1:15 of the first round of a scheduled 4 rounds.

In the first round Elliott scored two knockdowns before referee Mike Ortega counted to ten.

Elliott won 117 of 140 of his amateur fights. “I have been looking forward to this my entire life. I knew I was going to stop him. I wasn’t chasing him, but my punches have bad intentions,” said Elliott. He is with Split-T Management under the guidance of Tim VanNewhouse.