DUBAI?Young talents Genesis Servania and Arthur Villanueva showed the world they are ready to move on to the next level with crucial wins.
Servania defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Inter-Continental super bantamweight belt with a 10th-round stoppage of former world title challenger Jose Cabrera in the main event of Pinoy Pride 27 ? ?Duel in Dubai? at the Dubai World Trade Center.
Servania displayed his impressive footwork and speed, landing two-punch combinations every now and then. The 23-year-old unbeaten prospect dropped Cabrera with a right to the temple in the second round.
After getting hurt again in the following round, Cabrera exchanged with Servania to the delight of the roaring fans. Servania consistently landed his blows and hurt Cabrera but the 27-year-old Mexican simply wouldn?t go down.
Cabrera started to find his rhythm after the fifth and landed his counter punches. But Servania wouldn?t let him gain ground and unleashed his combinations time and again.
In the ninth, Servania tagged Cabrera with a left followed up by a right that cut the latter?s right cheek. Cabrera complained to referee Danrex Tapdasan that he was head-butted intentionally but the Filipino referee said that it was unintentional. On replay, the cut was apparently caused by a punch.
Cabrera quit on his stool at the end of the ninth round, ending a somewhat exciting fight in anticlimactic fashion.
Servania remained unbeaten with a 25-0 record including 11 knockouts, while Cabrera dropped to 22-5-2 with 10 knockouts.
?We always think that he is ready. It is the type of opponent that tells us if he is ready or not ready. (Guillermo) Rigondeaux is very hard to fight. We will see if we will go for Rigondeaux or another world champion. Maybe we will wait for the IBF (International Boxing Federation),? said ALA Promotions president Michael Aldeguer.
Servania is rated No. 2 in the WBO and ninth in the IBF, which has Kiko Martinez as the current the champion.Meanwhile, Villanueva weathered an early storm to edge out tough Nicaraguan Henry Maldonado and claim the vacant IBF International super flyweight title.
Villanueva got a little careless in the second round. He landed a left hook right straight combination that wobbled Maldonado. But after going for the kill, Maldonado threw a left hook that dropped Villanueva. But Villanueva would fight smart and put a bleeding Maldonado in sorts of trouble the whole fight.
Two judges scored the fight 117-110 and 116-113, while the other judge had Maldonando winning, 114-113.
Villanueva improved to 26-0 with 14 knockouts, while Maldonado fell to 19-4 with 14 knockouts.
The IBF super flyweight title is currently held by Zolani Tete. The No. 1 spot is currently vacant with Mc Joe Arroyo and Paul Butler ranked above him.
Rey ?Boom-Boom? Bautista (36-3 with 25 KOs) suffered two huge gashes, that needed to be patched up, but went away with a technical majority decision over tough Mexican Juan Jose Martinez (19-1, 15 KOs).
Two judges saw Bautista winning with identical scores of 67-65, while the other judge saw it even 66-66. The bout was stopped because of huge cut under Bautista?s left eye.
?It was more than what we expected. It was the biggest crowd in a boxing event in Dubai. There were so many who wanted watch but we couldn?t let them in. I thank Dubai and the Filipinos here,? said Aldeguer.
With a sell-out crowd who was predominantly Filipinos, Pinoy Pride will definitely be back in Middle East. EKA
