Eduardo Nunez drops Miguel Marriaga during their fight on Saturday, August 31, 2024 at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California. Photo credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom.
Eduardo Nunez sent an emphatic reminder of what awaits the Anthony Cacace-Josh Warrington winner.
The red-hot knockout artist has added another victim to his collection. This time it was former title challenger Miguel Marriaga who failed to hear the final bell. Nunez knocked down the Colombian veteran twice and forced a stoppage after six rounds Saturday at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
Nunez (28-1, 28 KOs) is all gas, no brakes when he steps into the ring. Marriaga was surprisingly game for the cause as he took the fight to the heavy-handed Mexican at the start of the fight.
It didn’t take long for momentum to change. Nunez quickly closed the gap in the second and third rounds, although Marriaga refused to back down.
Marriaga actually enjoyed a solid start to the fourth round before Nunez knocked the fight out of him.
A bad left hook to the body froze Marriaga in place just long enough for Nunez to land a right hand. Marriaga fell through the ropes and almost completely out of the ring. He managed to get to his feet and survived the remaining two minutes of the round, although there were concerns about whether the 37-year-old should be allowed to continue.
Marriaga (31-8, 26 KOs) extended Nunez in the sixth round, but couldn’t last longer than that. Nunez went on the offensive and eventually broke Marriaga’s will with a left hook to the body. Marriaga took another right hand up top for good measure as he was about to take a knee. He once again beat the count and made it to the bell.
The ringside doctor and referee both immediately met with Marriaga’s corner, confirming their guy was done for the night. It was just the second stoppage defeat Marriaga suffered. The only other occasion came in an unsuccessful August 2017 junior lightweight title bid against Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Nunez has now stopped each of his last eighteen opponents. His lone career fight to go the distance resulted in his only loss—a controversial split decision in June 2o18.
The run included guaranteeing his first, and upcoming, title shot. Nunez went past the tenth round for the first time in his career, but didn’t need much longer than that. He stopped former IBF 130-pound titlist Shavkatdzhon Rakhimov (17-1-1, 14 KOs) in the eleventh round of their title eliminator on Feb. 16 on the road in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
Nunez became the mandatory challenger to Cacace’s IBF title, and the sanctioning body even ordered the fight. However, it was agreed that Cacace (22-1, 8 KOs) would first get a voluntary defense against Warrington (31-3-1, 8 KOs) on the September 21 Anthony Joshua-Daniel Dubois Riyadh Season UK debut at Wembley Stadium in London.
The winner will have to face Nunez or else relinquish the title.
