Curiel settled in after a competitive opening round and began putting the light film on the middle frames. A right uppercut late in the fourth round changed the momentum, and he kept Panthen working hard inside as the fight progressed. Panthen’s game remained strong, but Curiel’s precision and composure set him apart over time.
The clearest moment came late in the ninth round, when a right hand wrapped Panthen’s legs and nearly put him down. Curiel followed up with another powerful jab, opening a cut in Panthen’s right eye and ending the fight. Judges scored 97-93 twice and 98-92.
In the co-main division, Jorge Chavez earned a unanimous decision over Manny Flores in their rematch, avenging the point from last summer and earning the vacant California State and WBA Continental USA super bantamweight titles.
Flores started fast and pressed the action quickly, but Chavez gradually stood his ground and landed heavy right hands. A sustained takedown in the eighth round, which featured multiple uppercuts, appeared to clinch the fight for Chavez. All three judges scored Chavez from 96-94 to 98-92.
Elsewhere on the card, Ruslan Abdullaev continued his fast start as a professional, stopping Eduardo Abreu late in the fifth round of their eight-round super lightweight fight. Abdullaev dropped Abreu with a right hand in the third and bounced back with a fist before the referee waved it off with seconds remaining.
John Ramirez earned a majority decision over Bryon Rojas in a ten-round super flyweight bout, while Cayden Griffiths remained undefeated in six rounds against Lesther Espino. Griffiths scored first and pressed all the way, but Espino showed tenacity to hear the final bell.
Middleweight Fabian Guzman closed out the night with a sixth round knockout of Jose Gabriel Rodriguez, continuing his strong run into the distance.
It was a long and uneventful card, but the main show made by Curiel made the night a centerpiece, and the Golden Boy left Palm Desert with a fitting result.