Rafael Espinoza vs Edward Vazquez Predictions: The hunter is fast becoming the hunted

Rafael Espinoza defends his WBO featherweight championship this Sunday, May 4 against Edward Vazquez. This world title attraction serves as the chief support for Naoya Inoue vs Ramon Cardenas at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Sky Sports will screen the event in the UK.

Here are my Rafael Espinoza vs Edward Vazquez predictions ahead of this featherweight fight.

Rafael Espinoza vs Edward Vazquez  Odds

Espinoza is 1/12 to score a victory here. Vazquez is the 8/1 underdog. If you like the look of honours being even the draw is there at 18/1. 

Rafael Espinoza vs Edward Vazquez Fight Preview

Given headliner Inoue’s apparent interest in conquering yet another division, and the card placement, and one wonders if this event is testing the waters. Could ‘The Monster’ soon move to 126lb to face WBO boss Espinoza?

In the immediate future, that looks unlikely. Inoue is set to face Murodjon Akhmadaliev in Japan in September, should he come through on Sunday. But holding a featherweight world title will likely still put Espinoza, or Vazquez, on Inoue’s radar. After all, the highly-active ‘Kaibutsu’ usually likes to put on a December fight in Japan. If he beats Akhmadaliev, the WBO holder could find themselves in the crosshairs.

But before fanciful talk of clashing with the best boxer on the planet, Espinoza and Vazquez face each other. Another big test for someone not expected to become a world champion but who is absolutely proving he deserves that designation.

Espinoza’s title-clinching majority decision over Robeisy Ramirez in late 2023 was a buzzer-beater for Upset of the Year. 363 days later, they did it again. Espinoza knocked his man out in six rounds. The first was a surprise, the second was a statement. 

Sandwiched in between was Espinoza’s first WBO title defence, a four-round destruction of 

Sergio Chirino Sanchez in which the challenger hit the deck three times. Sanchez had only lost to danger man Mauricio Lara going in, who would go on to win world titles in his own right. 

Over the course of a year, Espinoza went from unknown quantity to undeniable champion. The Ring magazine makes him the second-best featherweight in the world, behind IBF boss Angelo Leo. I wouldn’t balk at that, but boy would it be good to see them square off for that fabled The Ring championship at some point.

Vazquez is a brave choice of opponent. One of those fighters where the cold hard numbers do not do them justice. Vazquez is 17-2 with just four knockouts on his record. But those losses have come in fights where he gave elite boxers an absolute nightmare time.

Vazquez lost by split to Raymond Ford, who went on to reign as the WBA featherweight champion. His only other defeat is via majority decision to Joe Cordina in an IBF title fight. Vazquez might not be a power-puncher but you have to work extremely hard to beat him. And if you aren’t a top fighter, you simply aren’t getting it done.

Espinoza is proving himself to be a top fighter. Sometimes the shift from life-changing upset to targeted champion weighs heavily. The hunter becoming the hunted as it were. 

George Kambosos Jr. has lost three world title fights since shocking the world against Teofimo Lopez. Hasim Rahman won the heavyweight championship on two occasions but never won in a title defence. Espinoza has managed to make that adjustment and is walking into the third defence of his championship. Win here and the next might just come against a pound-for-pound superstar.

Rafael Espinoza vs Edward Vazquez Full Card

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Rafael Espinoza vs Edward Vazquez  Predictions

On paper, this is Espinoza’s second toughest test. But then Ramirez, who I would rank as the best fighter he has fought, was disposed of in six rounds of their rematch.

Vazquez will not go down easily I wouldn’t have thought. But then Espinoza is a puncher, with 22 of his 26 wins coming inside the distance. That is why this fight is so intriguing. The champion carries an almighty whack, while his challenger has made a reputation of hanging tough with the best.

This confluence of aptitudes has me wanting to go for Espinoza. The first Ramirez fight showed he can handle himself if his opponent refuses to back down. I’m backing the champ to keep Vazquez in check and keep his title with a 1/12 win.

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