Adelaida Ruiz was able to finish what she started this time.
The 33-year-old single mother of three claimed the interim WBC junior bantamweight title following a ten-round unanimous decision win over Sonia Osorio. Judges Julio César Alvarado (100-90), Nicolás Valenzuela (98-92) and Cixto Rincón (99-91) scored in favor of Ruiz in their rematch of the interim title fight Thursday night at Cuidad Deportiva Heiner Ugalde in San Jose, Costa Rica. .
Ruiz was in complete control of the action, often keeping Osorio at the end of his long range. The tactic was wise, considering his first fight last March 20 only lasted two rounds and ended in a technical draw. Osorio suffered a cut over his left eye from a clash of heads that led to the end of the fight that night.
It was a much cleaner affair in the rematch and all in one direction. Ruiz used his jab as a range finder, primarily for his straight right hand that drew attacks for Mexico City’s Osorio. Ruiz rocked Osorio in the first round, the closest either fighter came to hitting the canvas.
Open scoring revealed that Ruiz was ahead 40-36, 40-36 and 39-37 after four rounds. Osorio had a lot of motivation to step up his attack, which he attempted in rounds five and six. Ruiz wisely played defense during those moments, weathering the storm before bringing the action back to the center of the ring.
A clash of heads ensued in the seventh round, although neither fighter was harmed by the sequence. Ruiz connected with a right uppercut to break Osorio’s head and landed a right hand midway through the eighth round. Osorio spent most of the round gasping for breath as Ruiz caught her with a left hook to the body.
Ruiz was still way ahead on all three scorecards, 80-72, 79-73 and 78-74, after eight rounds. The scores were announced after Osorio picked up the pace in round nine, enjoying brief moments of success but often buried by blinding Ruiz counterattacks.
Ruiz did not sit on his lead, fighting with the same aggression in the tenth and final round as was the case earlier in the night. Osorio attempted a left hook, only for Ruiz to throw and land with the same weapon in return. Ruiz landed a jab and right hand, which Osorio (15-8-2, 4KOs) shook off as he buried his head and walked away hoping to land a miracle knockout punch. Ruiz avoided most of the starters to remain tall and undefeated at the end of the fight, as well as put himself in position to fight for the full version of the WBC title.
“I feel ecstatic. I am speechless,” said Ruiz, who improves to 12-0-1, (6KOs). “I always read those quotes about how one small step is always one step closer to your dreams, and here I am living it.
“Nothing comes easy. I worked my ass off. But here I am living my dream.”
The main event features local hero and IBF strawweight champion Yokasta Valle (25-2, 9KOs) against WBO champion Thi Thu Nhi Nguyen (5-0, 1KOs) of Vietnam in the first-ever unification bout. will take place on Costa Rican soil.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox
