Kenia Enriquez has positioned herself for another shot at the full flyweight title.
It could be for the undisputed championship by the time she lands her shot. For now, the Tijuana native is now the mandatory challenger to the WBC crown after her interim flyweight title win over Ibeth Zamora. The battle of former titlists saw Enriquez prevail by scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 99-91 in their ten-round battle Sunday evening on Imagen TV in La Paz, Baja California, Mexico.
Enriquez kept Zamora at the end of her jab early in the bout and used the weapon to set up her left hooks. Zamora—a former two-division titlist was a willing target, as she constantly came forward but struggled to match the power or activity of her younger and fresher countrywoman.
More subtle movement was offered in round two by Enriquez, just enough to gain more leverage on her left hook. She often doubled up on the weapon, with Zamora left to absorb body shots as well as to the head and without the ability to properly return fire.
Both boxers were warned to keep it clean in round four, though largely caused by Zamora constantly rushing inside to clinch. Enriquez did not get discouraged as she stuck to her game plan and made Zamora physically pay the price.
Zamora sought to turn the tide late in the fight and was able to occasionally land right hands. By that point, her right eye was nearly swollen shut and also showed bruising around her left eye. Enriquez mixed in her own right hand for good measure and fought more behind the jab in the later rounds as a points win was all but assured and Zamora was determined to go all ten rounds.
The setback saw Zamora fall to 33-8 (13KOs) with the second loss in her past three starts. The 34-year-old from San Cristobal Huichochitlan saw her three-year WBC flyweight title reign come to an end with a June 2021 points loss to Marlen Esparza (14-1, 1KO) in El Paso, Texas.
Esparza has since added the WBA and WBO titles to her collection along with the lineal championship. Her quest to fully unify the division was interrupted when the WBO ordered an immediate rematch versus recently dethroned WBO titlist Gabriela Alaniz, with the matter now destined to head to a purse bid hearing.
Enriquez (27-1, 11KOs) could further complicate those plans. The 29-year-old extended her current fourteen-fight win streak, which included a lengthy stay as the interim WBC junior flyweight titlist. Her reign included a November 2017 win over Yesica Nery Plata, who is now the unified WBC/WBA titlist.
Sunday’s win is also the fourth in a row at flyweight since Enriquez moved up last May.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox