GLENDALE, Ariz. — It took Raymundo Beltran four tries and 19 years to finally win an elusive lightweight world title, but it was a fleeting reign — a mere six months.
Jose “Sniper” Pedraza came to Beltran’s home region, knocked him down in the 11th round and dethroned him by unanimous decision in a bloody, action-packed fight before 4,502 in the main event of the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card Saturday night at the Gila River Arena.
Not only did Pedraza, a former junior lightweight world titleholder, win 117-110, 117-110 and 115-112 to claim his second world title, he also earned a title unification fight with pound-for-pound king Vasiliy Lomachenko on Dec. 1 in the main event of an ESPN+ card likely to take place at The Forum in Inglewood, California. ESPN.com also had Pedraza winning 115-112.
Despite chants of “Mexico! Mexico!” for Beltran, Pedraza had a strong opening round as he found a home for his consistent jab to the head and body.
Pedraza continued to land, as evidenced by the marks on Beltran’s face in the second round. Beltran was bruised and bleeding from a cut under his left eye and taking punches while not landing many.
Beltran, who won a vacant 135-pound world title by decision in a grueling fight with Paulus Moses in February, tried to exert pressure on Pedraza in the fourth round, stalking forward and looking to land body shots while also dabbing at the cut under his left eye. When Beltran got close, however, Pedraza tied him up and then slipped away.
The fight became more of a toe-to-toe battle in the fifth round as they exchanged big shots in the center of the ring. Every time Beltran landed, his hometown crowd went wild.
Beltran (35-8-1, 21 KOs), 37, a Mexico native who has lived in Phoenix for 16 years, was clearly trying to slow the quicker Pedraza down in the sixth round as he spent most of the round only attacking his body. Pedraza had abandoned his jab, and it was a lot easier for Beltran to get on the inside.
There were fierce exchanges in the ninth round. The blood from Beltran’s cut was flying to the point where Pedraza’s once-white ponytail holder had turned red.
Pedraza (25-1, 12 KOs), 29, of Puerto Rico, got back to his jab in the 10th round, but it was from his right hand because he had turned southpaw.
As Beltran, who was walked into the ring by Phoenix boxing legend and Hall of Famer Michael Carbajal, continued to try to pressure Pedraza, he took a right hand in the 11th round that sent blood flying from his face. Moments later, Pedraza landed a left uppercut to drop Beltran to his rear end. Beltran easily beat the count, but Pedraza forced him to the ropes and landed several more punches late in the round.
The crowd was on its feet as the 12th round began, but Beltran could not break through. Instead, Pedraza forced him to the corner in the waning seconds of the fight and clobbered him with several head-snapping shots to close the fight with authority.