Esmeralda Moreno Moves on in WBC Flyweight Tournament after Passing Test with Melissa McMorrow

From WBC:

DIAMOND CUTTER! “JOYA” MORENO DEFEATS “MIGHTY” MCMORROW

Charismatic former WBC female light flyweight champion, Esmeralda “Joya” Moreno, clearly defeated sun kissed Californian, Melissa “Mighty” McMorrow after 10 bloody rounds, advancing to the next round of the WBC Woman’s Diamond Belt tournament.

The contest was rugged and intense. Devoid of silky skills, rough and ready if not untutored Melissa, lived up to her nickname, by boring in… mightily. It resulted in a audible crack of heads in round two. Joya emerged with a small but deep vertical cut on her forehead above her left eye, which was copiously weeping blood. Reckless rather than intentional or vicious, none the less Referee Christian Curiel paused the action to curtly dock a point, from Melissa.

The roughhouse had considerably annoyed Esmeralda, who momentarily shelved her superior boxing skills, to dish out some in kind, unkind kerbside retribution. Melissa remained unchastened, but a crisp right hand from Joya had gauged a crescent shaped slice close to her left eye. Joya’s corner did a better job of controlling her own bleeding.

Joya used her greater experience to stem the surging energetic rushes of the younger fighter with some jarring left jabs, reinforced with long corrective rights. Yet from time to time, she did get caught with some meaty right hooks, which eye wateringly stung.

More then cosmetic damage in the seventh, when Melissa`s head again collided with Esmeralda’s face, with a wincing wallop. Another nasty cut, this time under Esmeralda’s right eye. Yet another point deducted! Undaunted, sporting a blood flecked face, the Mexican angrily, but grimly and with redoubled focus, stuck to the task at hand, as her opponent started to visibly tire and fade.

The Judges’ scorecards were: 100-88, 100-90 and 98-89, all in favor of the headstrong Mexican.