The tone for the rematch between middleweights Natasha Spence (10 8 2 6KO) and Maricela Cornejo (19 8 7KO) may have started with some tension at the weigh in, but it hit a peak when Spence was introduced with the ring name ‘Maricela’s Nightmare.’ Cornejo, on an opposite end of the ring name spectrum, came in as ‘La Diva.’ When these two fought in August of 2025, Spence won a lopsided six round unanimous decision to claim the WBA belt. The rematch was scheduled for ten rounds and the winner would take the WBA International Middleweight Belt.

The pace of the opening round was slow considering the seeming animosity between the two, Spence was content to feint, causing Cornejo to either back away or step forward to throw counter punches. Cornejo shot her left, moving to try to catch Spence at the end of her long reach, but Spence was quick enough to slip many of the punches. There was a bit more action in the second round as Spence began to jump in and throw punches to Cornejo’s body, then back out before Cornejo count land counter punches.

Spence landed a number of wide looping rights in the third round, and that kept Cornejo on the move. Those punches provided an opening for Cornejo to throw shots up the middle, and she was able to land some, but again not enough to keep Spence from coming forward. As the round drew to a close, Spence pinned Cornejo on the ropes and landed scoring punches to Cornejo’s body. The fourth round got a little scrappy at the midpoint as the two momentarily threw out the idea of boxing and simply threw wild and angry punches at each other. Spence’s right was controlling the last minute of the round until Cornejo threw a series of right hands that caught Spence’s head as the round ended.

Spence began to apply more pressure in the third round by stepping in close to Cornejo and throwing hard rights at Cornejo’s head. Cornejo moved to use her height and reach advantage, and while she was able to land punches, they were not as hard as the punches Spence was landing. While Spence was landing effective punches in the early rounds, she upped her game in the fourth round as she threw more punches and kept Cornejo moving. There was a slight shift in momentum in the closing moments of the fourth when Cornejo was able to land her left to Spence’s body and follow that with a right to Spence’s head

Spence stepped up the aggression in the fifth round as she stayed in front of Cornejo, throwing and often landing her left to Cornejo’s body. While Cornejo was able to throw punches at Spence, she was often doing so while backing away from pressure and even with a reach advantage, she was not able to land effective shots. There was a lot of in close fighting in the sixth round, and some holding, which also meant the two were throwing short hard body shots. Spence had an advantage there as she was able to land her right to Cornejo’s lanky body.

The momentum shifted in Cornejo’s favor in the seventh round as she stepped toward Spence, shooting her left jab and following that with a right targeting Spence’s head. As the round neared the final ten seconds, Spence backed Cornejo onto the ropes and landed a flurry of body shots. The eighth round saw Spence return to jumping in, throwing wide looping rights, that often landed, and then backing out before getting caught with counter punches. Late in the round, the two again stood in close and when not holding, threw short body shots.

The ninth round may have been the best round of the fight as both women were able to land scoring shots, often starting with body shots and following with heavy punches aimed at the other’s head. Spence was quite effective in throwing and landing her double left and following that with her right. As the round drew to a close, Cornejo landed a series of left jabs that slowed Spence. Both women threw a lot of punches in the final round. Spence scored when she targeted Cornejo’s body with her left and followed that with a quick short right. Cornejo chose to shoot her right, trying to slow Spence’s aggression.

After ten rounds, two judges scored the fight 97-93, the third scored it 96-94, all in favor of Natasha Spence who with the unanimous decision would claim the WHA International Middleweight Title.

This story also appears on Women Boxing Archive Network

Spence lands her left to Cornejo's chin

Cornejo shoots her left while Spence answers with a wide left hook

Team Spence, Referee Joel Scobie, WBA administrator, and the Ring Card Girls

Reyes (right) and Watley trade jabs

The co main bout featured junior welterweights Andres Reyes and Brandon Watley. Reyes returned to the ring looking to get back in the win column after losing to unbeaten Piotr Apostol in October. Watley was also looking to get win after coming up on the short end of a majority decision in his last outing.

There a lot of punches thrown in the opening round as both men were looking to exert some dominance. Reyes scored when he landed a double left and followed that with a hard right. Watley was able to land his jab and follow that with a right to Reyes’ body. There was even more action in the second round as the two closed the distance to fight in tight. That meant they threw a lot of short body shots, and both were able to land scoring punches, but Reyes gained an advantage when he landed his right to Watley’s head.

The opening minute of the third round was fought in the center of the ring with the men standing close to each other. That again meant short body shots. As the round hit the midpoint, Reyes backed Watley onto the ropes and landed a number of body shots. Those punches forced Watley to cover up to block the punches, and it also slowed his output. While the in close fighting continued In the fourth round, Watley made an adjustment that enabled him to roll out of trouble and counter punch as he did so. The round ended with Watley again on the ropes and Reyes targeting his body.

The pace of the fight slowed in the fifth round. Watley stayed in the center of the ring early in the round and in so doing he was able to score using his long reaching right. However, as the round neared the end, Reyes again had Watley on the ropes. Watley had a good sixth round as he was able to land some heavy punches and keep Reyes moving, but Reyes threw more punches in the round.

After six rounds, all three judges scored the fight 60-54 in favor of Reyes who would climb back in to the win column with the unanimous decision.

Darnell Thompson and Ryan Bailey stepped in to the ring in a four round heavyweight fight. Bailey has proven he is not one to back away from tough opponents, and Thompson is one of those fighters as he is under the tutelage of Roy Jones Junior.

As is sometimes the case in heavyweight fights, the pace of the opening round was slow. Bailey threw more punches, and he was able to land some of them to Thompson’s body, but Thompson was able to land the heavier punches. Thompson’s most effective attack came when he followed his lead right with a solid left to Bailey’s body. The paced stayed slow in the second round, though Thompson was able to land his right more often. Bailey covered well to block some of those shots, but that limited his ability to fire punches in return.

In the third round Thompson began to throw and land effective left – right combinations. He was also able to land his left to Bailey’s body when Bailey stepped in to close the distance between them. The fourth round saw less action than the previous rounds. Thompson continued to land his right; Bailey continued to cover and block shots.

After four rounds all three judges scored the bout 40-36 in favor of Darnell Thompson who would remain unbeaten with the unanimous decision win.

Thompson loads up his left

Russell's right catches Cox

A couple of featherweights, Isaac Russel, making his pro debut, and Brian Andrew Cox, looking for his first win, stepped in to the ring in a bout scheduled for four rounds.

As the bell sounded to begin the fight Russell stepped across the ring and unleashed a series of punches to Cox’s body. Russell’s punches were quick and heavy. Cox threw punches in return, but he had trouble catching Russell who was quick to step out of trouble. Just past the halfway point of the round, Russell backed Cox into the corner and landed a right to Cox’s body that made Cox take a knee. The referee counted, and Cox stood, but he was hut too much to continue.

Russell would score the TKO win at 1:36 of the opening round.

Carlos Villanueva stepped up to fight as a heavyweight in facing Theo Dukas, who was making his debut as a boxer after being in the ring fighting bare knuckle bouts.

Dukas showed some skill as a boxer in the opening round as he fired his jab to get in close and then shot his right to land on Villanueva’s body. And though the punches landed, they did little to slow Villanueva. Villanueva pressured Dukas, stepping toward him and shooting his left to Dukas body while his right was targeting Dukas’ chin. Villanueva’s body shots began to slowly break Dukas down, and when Villanueva added the right to Dukas’ head, he shifted all momentum to his favor. Dukas threw a few counter punches as the round drew to a close, but he could not match Villanueva’s punch output.

Villanueva loaded up the body shots in the third round, and as they landed, they slowed Dukas. Midway through the round Villanueva landed a left to Dukas’ body and followed that with a right to the head that caused Dukas to drop to a knee. Though he stood and continued to fight, Villanueva again caught him with body shots and when Dukas dropped to his knee, the referee waved the fight to an end.

Villanueva would claim the TKO win at 2:08 of the third round.

Dukas (left) closes in on Villanueva

Magana watches Linford drop

Seven Linford reentered the ring after a layoff of just over a year to face Johnathan Magana in a welterweight bout scheduled for four rounds. Linford was looking for his first win as a pro, while Magana was in pursuit of his second win in as many fights.

Both men answered the opening bell throwing jabs, and some of those punches landed. It was however Magana that began to land the heavier shots, often right hands targeting Linford’s head that shifted the momentum of the fight. When Magana landed a hard looping right to Linford’s head, it forced Linford to lower his hands and back up. Magana jumped toward him, threw another right that landed heavy and dropped Linford. Linford rolled and stood, but his legs were not at all steady, and when he fell into the ropes the referee waved the fight to an end.

Magana would score the TKO win a :53 of the first round.

Gerald Powell-Wood and Jesus Velazquez opened the show in a middleweight bout scheduled for four rounds. Powell-Wood dropped a close decision in his last fight. Velazquez was making his pro debut.

Both men threw a lot of punches in answering the opening bell. Velazquez threw left – right combinations to Powell-Wood’s body, and he scored with a number of them. Powell-Wood was more controlled in his offense as found lapses in Velazquez’s defense and shot his long reaching right hand toward his head. In the second round Powell-Wood created angels to land power shots to Velazquez’s head, but they did little to slow the left – right combinations that Velazquez favored.

Powell-Wood spent much of the third round with his back on the ropes while Velazquez threw body shots. As the round entered the final minute, Powell-Wood shifted his assault to Velazquez’s head, landing hard power shots. When Powell-Wood landed a hard right to Velazquez’s body, Velazquez’s knees wobbled. Another body shot dropped Velazquez, and though he stood, his legs were unsteady and the referee waved an end to the fight.

Powell-Wood would win by TKO at 2:40 if the third round.

Powell-Wood's left catches Velazquez

The Ring Card Girls worked between rounds

The Ring Card Girls getting ready to go to work