Ponce de Leon captures second world boxing belt

DANIEL Ponce de Leon of Mexico won a second world title when he dethroned countryman Jhonny Gonzales by an eighth-round technical decision in their battle for the WBC featherweight world title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas yesterday.

Ponce de Leon scored a knockdown in the sixth round and in the eighth round, a clash of heads inflicted a cut over the right eye of Gonzalez, which forced referee Kenny Bayless to halt the contest after it was determined that Gonzales could no longer continue.

The judges had Ponce de Leon ahead, 77-74, 79-72, 79-72, in the score cards and was declared the new champion and improved his record to 44-4-0 (win-loss-draw) with 35 knockouts.

Ponce de Leon  is a former WBO superbantamweight champion who gained notoriety with Filipino boxing fans in 2007. He beat Gerry Peñalosa in Las Vegas by unanimous decision for his fourth successful title defense. In his fifth defense, he stopped ALA gym star Rey “Boom Boom” Bautista in one round in Sacramento, California.

Bautista, who has since recovered from wrist surgery and scored seven straight wins since 2009, has said time and time again that he hopes to have an opportunity to face Ponce De Leon in a rematch.

Gonzales (52W-8L, 45 KOs) is a former WBO bantamweight world champion. He was dethroned by Gerry Peñalosa by seventh-round knockout in Sacramento, California five months after Peñalosa lost to Ponce de Leon. /correspondent Rene Bonsubre Jr.