Chicago, Illinois – Oscar Duarte (30-2-1, 23 KOs) faced Kenneth Sims Jr. in a WBA super lightweight title eliminator match (22-3-1, 8 KOs) on Saturday night at the Credit One Arena in Chicago, Illinois, and was able to edge him out via a close majority decision.
Judges Mike Fitzgerald (115-113) and Nathan Palmer (116-112) scored it for Duarte, while Al Gallardo had it a draw (114-114). Both boxers landed the same number of total punches in the match at 229, but it was Duarte’s pressure that gave him the edge, landing more power punches, 172 to 110 (Compubox). His strategy was to place immense pressure and to attack the body to minimize Sims’ lateral movement. According to Duarte, he did not feel Sims’ punches were all that strong, but felt it was his speed and timing that made him a difficult opponent. This was Oscar’s fourth consecutive victory and the thirtieth of his career.
Oscar has shown visible improvements under trainer Robert Garcia; he’s improved both offensively and defensively. In this match, his defense appeared much tighter, resembling Canelo Alvarez. When asked about his defensive improvements, he said, “That’s right, it’s something with Robert Garcia; I concluded my training camp, and they’ve been instilling defense in me. So, there we go, trying to perfect it with every fight, and in this fight, I felt it was good…the defense.” Robert Garcia has one of the most talented stables in boxing, and Duarte gets to spar with these skillful boxers, which allows him to grow and improve in the ring. He now seeks fights with the very best in the division and wants to fight the champions at 140.
Duarte was asked about the current champions, which one he would like to fight: “I would pick Pitbull Cruz, Subriel Matias, or [Gary Antuanne] Russell. Whichever one of the champions, I’m going for the title, and whoever comes across my path, I’ll take them out.” The most fan-friendly match would be against the interim WBC super lightweight champion, Pitbull Cruz. It would generate great fan interest, matching two Mexican warriors against each other. It’s been rumored that a potential October card is in the work between Golden Boy Promotions and Premier Boxing Champions which would feature Keith Thurman versus Vergil Ortiz and Frank Martin versus Arnold Barboza Jr. Adding the proposed fight between Duarte and Cruz could be a viable option for that card as well, as both fighters are promoted by the respective companies.
Duarte also mentioned that once he becomes champion, he would like to avenge his loss to Ryan Garcia as he feels it’s an unsettled score he’d like to address.
Last Updated on 08/04/2025
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