Raul Curiel Decisions Jordan Panthen in Palm Desert | Boxing Results

Raul Curiel pushed his record to 17-0-1 with a unanimous decision over last-minute replacement Jordan Panthen at middleweight in Palm Springs. Judges scored it 97-93, 98-92, and 97-93 for the Tijuana fighter, who moved up from welterweight after Alexis Rocha pulled out due to a medical issue. Curiel landed the harder shots, but Panthen’s durability kept him upright for ten rounds.

Panthen stepped in on short notice and showed up to fight. That counts for something. But he was in over his head against a natural puncher working his way through the ranks at 160 pounds. Curiel controlled distance, targeted the body, and imposed his rhythm. Panthen survived but never threatened to win rounds.

Short Notice Clouded the Picture

Panthen deserves credit for taking the fight, but this wasn’t a fair test for either man. Curiel needed rounds at middleweight, and he got them. But beating a fighter who had days to prepare doesn’t tell you much about where he stands against legitimate contenders.

Curiel’s team positioned this as his middleweight debut under the Golden Boy banner. That’s the business side. The boxing side is less clear. He threw body shots and found openings, but Panthen’s lack of preparation made those openings easier to find. Curiel talked about wanting a world title next. That’s premature. He needs a proper step-up fight against someone who had a full camp.

Chávez Takes Flores in Rematch

Jorge Chávez beat Manuel Flores for the second time, this one by unanimous decision in a ten-round super bantamweight fight. Judges had it 97-93, 98-92, and 96-94. Flores fought in front of his hometown crowd but couldn’t solve Chávez, who added the WBA Continental USA and California State titles to his record.

This was a rematch that delivered action. Both fighters traded hard, and the crowd stayed engaged. But Chávez’s cleaner work and better composure won rounds. Flores pressed and threw volume, but Chávez landed the more effective punches. That’s how fights are scored. Flores is a solid regional fighter. Chávez looks like he might be more than that, but he’ll need to prove it against stiffer competition.

Abdullaev Stops Abreu in Five

Ruslan Abdullaev knocked out Eduardo Abreu at 2:59 of the fifth round to claim the WBA Continental Gold Title. The Uzbekistani Olympian is 4-0 as a professional and already showing the kind of power that gets attention. Abreu came in with experience but couldn’t handle Abdullaev’s timing and precision.

Abreu wasn’t a tomato can. He’d been in with decent opposition and had ten knockouts of his own. Abdullaev broke him down methodically and finished him when the opening appeared. If he keeps developing at this pace, he’ll be in meaningful fights within the next year or two.

Undercard Results

Cayden Griffiths went the distance against Lesther Espino and won 60-53 on all cards. Griffiths is 7-0 now, and the local kid is being brought along carefully. Espino had a losing record coming in, so this was exactly what it looked like—a learning fight for a prospect.

Scrappy Ramirez took a majority decision over Byron Rojas in a ten-round super flyweight fight. Scores were 98-92, 97-93, and 95-95. Rojas has fought nearly 40 times and knows how to survive. Ramirez got the win, but it wasn’t dominant. Fabian Guzman stopped Jose Rodriguez in the sixth round, moving to 9-0 with eight knockouts. Rodriguez didn’t have much to offer. Ricardo Ruvalcaba beat Jonathan Eniz by unanimous decision in eight rounds. Eniz has lost more than he’s won. These were filler fights designed to pad records.

Curiel Needs A Real Test

Curiel needs a real middleweight test. Panthen was willing, but he wasn’t ready. Golden Boy should match him with someone ranked inside the top 20 who had a full training camp. That’s how you find out if he belongs at this level. Chávez proved he can beat Flores twice. Now he needs to fight someone who hasn’t lost to him already. Abdullaev should be fast-tracked based on his amateur pedigree and early professional results. The rest of the card was about building records, not answering questions.