Viloria, ‘nalo via 5th round TKO

TINIYAK ni three time world champion Filipino American Brian “Hawaiian Punch” Viloria na may sapat pa siyang lakas para maging kampeong pandaigdig nang mapatigil sa 5th round si WBO No. 13 flyweight Miguel Cartagena kahapon sa super flyweight bout sa Carson, California sa United States.

Bagama’t nakalistang No. 3 sa WBO, No. 5 sa WBC at WBA, at No. 7 sa IBF sa flyweight division, muling lumaban sa mas mataas na dibisyon ang 36-anyos na si Viloria para magkaroon ng tiyansa sa world title bout. Una siyang lumaban sa dibisyon noong nakaraang Marso 2 nang talunin sa 8-round bout si dating Mexican super flyweight champion Miguel Montoya sa Kokugikan, Japan.

“It was an all action bout with the 25 year old Cartagena showing no respect to the elder Viloria. They fought pretty evenly through the opening three rounds but in the fourth round, the superior experience of Viloria started to show and he badly staggered Cartagena,” ayon sa ulat ng Fightnews.com. “Viloria tried his best to get the stoppage in the fourth round and he very nearly did but Cartagena held and threw back just enough for the referee to allow the fight to continue.”

“Viloria, however, tasted blood and went for the kill in the fifth round and with Cartagena no longer able to defend himself, the referee waved off the bout to give Viloria the technical knockout victory,” dagdag sa ulat. “Viloria looks solid in victory and appears ready for yet another title challenge.”

Sa pagwawagi, nabawi ni Viloria ang pagkatalo sa 1st round TKO ng kababayang si dating world rated Filipino Joebert Alvarez kay Cartagena noong 2016 sa Kissimmee, Florida at tiyak na papasok sa super flyweight world rankings.

Napaganda ni Viloria ang kanyang kartada sa 38-5-0 na may 23 panalo sa knockouts samantalang bumagsak ang kartada ng Puerto Rican American na si Cartagena sa 15-4-.