SAN ANTONIO, Texas — Edgar Sosa of Mexico denied Filipino-American Brian Viloria’s chance at redemption Saturday night by claiming the vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) light-flyweight crown on a 12-round majority decision.
Sosa landed 233 of a total of 800 punches thrown for a 29 percent rate, while Viloria connected only 155 out of 596 for 26 percent.
Of the 800 blows Sosa unloaded, 444 were power punches and 162 those landed for 36 percent. Viloria was not to be outdone as he unleashed 314, connected 107 for 34 percent.
Judges Max De Luca and Jesse Reyes both saw it at 115-113 for Sosa, while Burt Clements had it 114-114. Clements was the same official who cost Manny Pacquiao a win against Juan Manuel Marquez in May 2004 on a scoring blunder.
“Viloria is great. He had a big right hand. (But) by the sixth round, I knew I was in control of the fight,” said Sosa, who boosted his win-loss-draw card to 27-5 with 14 knockouts.
“I thought I did enough to win,” said Viloria, whose right eye was so puffy that the Mexican took advantage of his predicament by launching a furious attack in the 12th and final round.
Viloria’s slate dropped to 19-2 with 12 stoppages and not even the hiring of Joe Goosen to replace Freddie Roach worked wonders against the skillful Sosa.
Both fighters had their moment especially in the latter half when Sosa and Viloria tore away at each other as though their lives depended on the outcome of the fight.
In the eighth stanza, Viloria staggered Sosa with an overhand right but the Mexico City native quickly regained his bearings and early in the ninth, a left hook and left uppercut, clearly hurt Viloria.
