Rafael Espinoza vs. Edward Vazquez Stats Comparison and Prediction: Record, Height, Reach, Weight, and Knockout Ratio

“The Vazquez fight is my priority, but I want the [Inoue] fight because it’s going to make me a pound-for-pound fighter, and that’s my goal. It’s a very strong goal,” said Rafael Espinoza, the Mexican WBO featherweight champ, in a press conference on April 9, 2025. But before he gets to have his dream fight, there is one person he must vanquish—Edward Vazquez.

In a very clean, professional rivalry, the 29-year-old boxer has pulled eyes to the ring, as he tries to steal an upset victory, ultimately claiming the WBO belt from his undefeated 26-0 opponent, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas tonight. This bout, the co-main event in the Naoya Inoue vs. Ramon Cardenas clash, will be available for viewing on ESPN, ESPN+, and ESPN Deportes. El Divino is a heavy favorite at -1100 to -1200 moneyline odds, while Kid is the underdog at +650 to +800. So, who would win?

Well, that’s for fate and the boxers’ performance from a few hours now to decide. But, we can always make an educated prediction based on stat comparison (record, age, height, reach, and weight).

Predicting Rafael Espinoza vs. Edward Vazquez: Who has better stats and record?

Taking the lead, understandably, Rafael Ezpinoza is already the outlier when it comes to having a better record. He is undefeated. He has won 22/26 fights by knocking his opponents out. And, the 17-2 Fort Worth native is not quite near, with only 4 of his wins coming by knockout. So, for the record and knockout ratio, the champ boasts a high percentage of 85% compared to Kid’s 24%.

Then there is the factor of Vazquez losing the bout against the lightweight Joe Cordina, two fights ago. So, he’s already been defeated twice, and it may happen tonight as well. But, to be realistic and give the latter an imaginary win, the fact that the American boxer was once the IBF USBA super featherweight champion backs the victory up.

Both know what it feels like to be a champion. Yet Espinoza is currently the world champion, which gives him the obvious upper hand. He’s also a fan favorite. Now, let’s also take a look at who is in better physical form for the bout.

Espinoza vs. Vazquez height, weight, reach comparison, and more

When it comes to physique and build, Rafael Espinoza is still to look down from his 6’1″ stature at the 5’7″ level of Edward Vazquez. That naturally gives him a massive reach advantage of 77″ (188 cm) over the latter’s 66.9″ (170 cm), according to Box Live, complementing his style. As for weight, the tall boxer is comfortable at 126 lbs, which is where he has been since 2016.

Vazquez is more prone to facing issues in that area, since he is moving down from 130 lbs, and needs to cut down weight to meet the champ in the ring. With all that said, Espinoza’s size, reach, power, and momentum would likely make it a stylistic mismatch for Vazquez, making it a win for El Divino by TKO in the later rounds.

Both of them are at their career prime, so the age factor is easily thrown out of consideration. None of them have faced any major injuries since 2023, and while the American is gritty and skilled enough to frustrate some opponents, he hasn’t beaten elite competition yet. Moreover, Espinoza may easily keep him at a distance, landing punishing shots that force a late stoppage, or win a wide decision. What about you? Do you think that Espinoza would win, too?

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