Willibaldo García is the new IBF super flyweight world champion after defeating René Calixto.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, May 24, 2025, p. a27

Willibaldo García's punches describe him as a tenacious fighter, with the skill of an acrobat to hurt his opponent while moving around the ring.

In the fight in Zacatecas for the International Boxing Federation (IBF) super flyweight world championship, vacant until yesterday, he defeated fellow Guerrero native René Calixto in a fierce 12-round battle that ended by split decision (115-113, 113-115 and 116-112), according to the judges' scorecard.

Calixto took the first four rounds to the territory that suited him best. René combined hooks and uppercuts , maintained his distance with precise overhand right hands, and although García tried to re-emerge with a counterpunch, the Acapulco native emerged as a master of strong punches.

There was a moment when the audience at the event became excited by the knockout, but the Copala native withstood the punishment and thus kept his coronation hopes alive.

That second wind gave Willibaldo the lead in the fifth and sixth rounds , as well as the close of the fight, perhaps his best moment, in a match that demonstrated the quality of both fighters.

What resulted was pure resilience and a controversial finish, according to the judges. Calixto boxed with some fatigue, but his footwork helped him escape several traps set by a growing opponent, confident in the power of his punches.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, May 24, 2025, p. a27

With a five-run rally in the first inning and three more in the second and third, the Tigres de Quintana Roo achieved a 12-6 victory over the Diablos Rojos del México, opening the series at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium.

The visiting team attacked starter Dan Straily from the start, racking up eight runs in the first third of the game. Although the Diablos scored four times during that stretch, the felines' pitching managed to hold off the threats from the capital team to secure their 11th win of the season in 31 games.

Tigers starter Ronnie Williams pitched 4.2 innings, allowing nine hits and four runs, while four relievers limited the Devils to just four hits and two runs over the next 4.1 innings. Left-hander Efrén Delgado was the winning pitcher, while Straily took the loss after allowing eight runs in four innings.

Every batter in the Tigers' lineup had at least one hit, with Melvin Mercedes leading the way with four hits. He was followed by Gaige Howard with three and Anthony García with the same number.

For the Devils, Francisco Mejía drove in three runs and scored two. Carlos Sepúlveda, meanwhile, extended his hitting streak to 18 straight games.

This Saturday, starting at 4 p.m., the second game of the series will be played. Venezuelan Deolis Guerra will make his debut with the Pingos, while left-hander Kobe Foster will start for the Cats.