Servania fumbles in world title bid

Filipino boxer Genesis ‘Azukal’ Servania failed in his bid to win the WBO featherweight title, losing by 12-round unanimous decision to Mexico’s Oscar Valdez yesterday at the Tucson Convention Center in Tucson, Arizona.

In a report from boxingscene.com, Servania knocked down the two-time Olympian in the fourth round, but was also dropped by Valdez in the following round.

Servania slowed down in the second half of the fight as he let Valdez out-boxed him. The Bacolod City-native fighter landed a series of right hands that seemed to affect Valdez toward the end of the sixth round.

Valdez hit Servania with an overhand right in the eighth round, only to have Servania counter with a right uppercut that stunned Valdez. The Mexican piled up points in the 10th and 11th rounds, when Pinoy warrior seemed to slow down and had trouble landing flush punches against Valdez.

After 12 rounds, Valdez earned the nod of the three judges with the scores of 116-110, 119-111 and 117-109.

Despite the defeat, Servania proved himself as a legitimate threat against a more experienced, undefeated world champion.

Valdez improved his record to a perfect 23-0, spiked with 19 stoppages, while Servania suffered his first career loss in 30 fights. —

Lemuel P. Maglinte