Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, 44-3-2, 35 KO’s, defeated the lowly regarded but talented Jorge Solis, 32-1-2, 23 KO’s, and a native of Mexico. Pacquiao started slowly, letting Solis show the world his ability but making sure he established who is the WBC International, and people’s, Junior Lightweight Champion. Pacquiao was not going to be denied.
The fight was utterly close until the sixth round, when an accidental head butt injured Pacquiao around the eye and infuriated him. The next couple of rounds, he looked like a bear on the hunt for food. If this was a case of an uninspired Pacquiao fighting, the head butt surely ignited the bulb as the fire inside him gave way to a hellish attack. By round eight, the brave Solis was ready to go, and Pac Man was happy to deliver. After two knockdowns, the fight was properly stopped. It shall be mentioned that Pacquiao is running for a political position in South Cotabato, The Philippines, against Ms. Darlene Antonino Custodio. If he wanted to sway votes his way by winning this fight, he’ll take the political seat by knockout, no pun intended.
Cristian Mijares, 31-3-2, 10 KO’s, boxed brilliantly in winning over future Hall of Famer Jorge Arce, 46-4-1, 35 KO’s. Not only is he the WBC Super Flyweight Champion, a title he has held since September 18, 2006, but a new card to be dealt with among boxing’s smallest divisions. He won convincingly, earning a victory that hopefully will lead a great Champion’s career to a dignified, if losing, close. Whether Mijares can follow Arce’s legacy with his own remains to be seen, after all, Trevor Berbick, rest in peace, had a legacy that in no way could compare to Muhammad Ali’s, even when he beat The Greatest in Ali’s last fight.
Brian Viloria, 19-2, 12 KO’s, on the other hand, is starting to become this generation’s version of the Davey Moores (2nd), David Reids, and other boxers who had too much too soon, and consequently also lost it all too soon. Viloria has been on a downfall for some time now, but losing to Edgar Sosa, 27-5, 14 KO’s? Hardly the person one would expect a supposed legend in the making like Viloria lose to.
As part of the under card also, the son of the legend and heir to some of his father’s stardom, Julio Cesar Chavez, JR., 31-0-1, 24 KO’s, did well in beating Anthony Shuler, 20-5-1, 14 KO’s, coming in, and Maribel Zurita, 8-8-2, 1 KO, had to settle for a six round draw against 2-2-1, 1 KO, Emily Kelly.
All in all, another wonderful under card full of surprises and another great performance by a man who never fails to surprise or come through, Manny “The Pacman” Pacquiao.
