Pedro Taduran retains world crown; Jimuel Pacquiao claims 1st pro win

April 6 ------ Pedro Taduran retained his crown and remained on course toward becoming a unified champion on Friday, April 3 (Saturday, April 4, Manila time).

Packing power and attacking without letup, Taduran stopped Mexican challenger Gustavo Perez Alvarez in the seventh round of their International Boxing Federation minimumweight championship at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.

Dominant from the third round, Taduran landed a left straight to the body that put Alvarez down for the fourth time. The dazed Mexican was up at the count of eight, but referee Thomas Taylor waved off the bout to prevent further punishment.

Taduran put down Alvarez twice in the fourth round, first with a left body shot, followed by a combination and another body shot. Alvarez fought on, only to be caught by another left hook that decked him late in the sixth round. Taduran continued to bombard Alvarez with punches and finally ended the bout with another body shot at the 1:34 mark of the seventh, the round correctly picked by trainer Carl Penalosa for the stoppage.

The 29-year-old Taduran, pride of Libon, Albay, raised his record to 20-4-1 with 14 knockouts and handed Alvarez only his second loss in 18 fights.

Using his speed, Alvarez was on the offensive in the first two rounds, before Taduran got the distance and started landing his jabs and power punches in the third. “I felt that I could put him down when I hurt him with a body blow in the third,” said Taduran, who is gunning for a unification against unbeaten Puerto Rican Oscar Collazo.

Despite his impressive performance, Taduran rated himself only a 7 out of 10. Taduran was handed the IBF title belt by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao, who staged the fight card through Manny Pacquiao Promotions, headed by Sean Gibbons.

Source: rappler.com