Viloria stops Segura to retain WBO flyweight title

BRIAN “The Hawaiian Punch” Viloria successfully defended his WBO world flyweight title against Mexican “Aztec Warrior” Giovani Segura at the Ynares Sports Center with a scintillating and gutsy performance punctuated by a technical knockout in the eighth round.

Referee Samuel Viruet  stopped the fight at the  0:29 mark of the eighth as Viloria improved to 30-3 (win-loss) with 17 knocnouts.

He finished with a swollen left cheek aside from his cut but he made sure he would retain his title in front of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and former two-division world champ Gerry Penalosa and cheering fans who trooped to Pasig on a Sunday morning.

The southpaw Segura had Viloria on the defensive in the opening minutes of the fight. But Viloria’s left hook began to find its range going into the second round. Viloria stunned Segura with a right hand lead followed by a left hook and had Segura on the ropes twice.

Viloria bled from a cut on the left eyebrow but took the initiative from the Mexican as Segura looked dazed and confused at the end of the round.

A hematoma started to form on the Mexican’s right temple as Viloria’s left landed with impunity in the subsequent rounds.

Segura continued to press the action but missed wildly. His power was evident as Viloria covered up and winced as Segura’s hooks connected.

Past the halfway mark, the swelling on the right side of Segura’s head got bigger and his right eye would eventually get affected and started to close as well.

Segura was still dangerous but Viloria, with blood continuing to leak from his cut, pressed his advantage by landing hard shots.

The scores prior to the stoppage had Viloria comfortably ahead at 69-64, 70-63 and 68-65.

Segura (28-2-1, 24 KOs) suffered his second career loss. He was ranked ninth by Ring magazine in their pound-for-pound list prior to this bout.   /correpondent Rene Bonsubre Jr.