Edwin Valero made an emphatic statement to the Lightweight division as he won the WBC Lightweight title with a second round knockout over Antonio Pitaula at the Frank Erwin Events Center in Austin, Texas.
Valero won the first round on the strength of a blistering four punch combination in the corner. In round two, Valero landed a perfect right hook on the inside the cracked the chin of Pitaula and sent him to the canvas. Valero jumped on Pitaula and landed a huge flurry that sent Pitaula down for a second time. Clearly hurt, Valero pounded Pitaula with eight unanswered punches that forced referee Laurence Cole to stop the fight as Pitaula was slumping to the canvas.
Valero, 134 1/2 lbs of Bolero Alto, Venezuela is now 25-0 with all wins coming inside the distance. Pitaula, from Monteria, Colombia is now 46-4.
In a battle of former world champion, Michael Katsidis stopped Jesus Chavez after Chavez did not answer the bell for round eight.
The fight was close early as Chavez mixed in some boxing with his usually brawling style. The fight heated up in round three as Katsidis started getting tyhrough with his punches. The fight really turned in round four as an accidental headbutt caused a cut on the high forehead of Chavez.
Although the cut was not in a ?dangerous? place but the blood started to stream down the face of Chavez. Over the next couple rounds, Katsidis changed the momentum of the fight as he began to drive Chavez back with less resistance. After round seven the blood was all over the face of Chavez and he decided to call it a day.
With the win, Katsidis, 135 lbs of Toowoomba, Queensland, Australia is now 25-2 with twenty-one knockous. Chavez, 136 lbs of Austin, Texas is now 44-5.
Former U.S. Olympian, Vicento Escobedo scored the best win of his career as he scored a ten round unanimous decision over former Jr. Lightweight champion Carlos Hernandez in a ten round Lightweight bout.
The fight did not seem like it would go the distance as Escobedo scored knockdowns in each of the first two rounds. Escobedo scored the first round knockdown from a right hand. It was the same punch that floored Hernandez in round two. Hernandx was hurt once again in that round as he ate a good uppercut from Escobedo. In round three, Hernandez suffered a cut from around his left eye after he was hit with an accidental elbow. Hernandez started getting into the fight in rounds four and five as he started landing jabs that caused swelling around the right eye of Escobedo.
In round six, Hernandez scored a dubious knockdown when the feet of the two fighters became tangled and Escobedo fell onto the canvas. Escobedo started doing well showing some nice boxing skills as the late rounds approached. Hernandez came out like he was shot out of a cannon to start the final frame as he landed big shots with both hands that made life a little uncomfortable for Escobedo. Escobedo did well to not eat anything that hurt him significantly as he held on to win by scores of 96-91, 95-91 and 94-93.
Escobedo, 134 1/2 lbs of Woodlands, California is now 20-1. Hernandez, 135 3/4 lbs of San Antonio, Texas said he would retire if he had lost and if he hold to it he would finsih with a record of 43-8-1
Last minute replacement Rolando Reyes scored a shocking fifth round stoppage over former IBF Lightweight champion Julio ?Kidd? Diaz in a scheduled ten round Lightweight bout.
Reyes started off well as he landed a couple of nice rights to win round one. Diaz started being abit more active over the next couple rounds and seemed to be hitting a nice groove. In round five, Reyes landed a right that froze Diaz that was quickly followed up by a huge uppercut that dropped Diaz. Diaz was up at the count of five only to eat a huge flurry that included a second uppercut that sent Diaz to the canvas and the fight was stopped at 2:17 of round five.
Reyes, 135 1/2 lbs of Oxnard, California took the bout on about one week?s notice is now 31-4-2 with twenty knockouts. Diaz, 136 1/2 lbs of Coachella, California will have along road back to regain his title with a record of 36-5.
