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Pedro Taduran Scores Sensational
Stoppage Over Gustavo Pérez Álvarez
Manny Pacquiao Promotions (MPP) returned to Pechanga Resort
Casino in Temecula, Calif., in spectacular fashion with a
championship night of boxing featuring both established and
rising stars.
With the IBF Minimumweight World Championship on the line,
Pedro Taduran (20-4-1, 14 KOs) impressively closed the show
against Ensenada, Mexico’s Gustavo Pérez Álvarez (16-2, 5
KOs). Hailing from the Philippines, Taduran defended his
world title against the always-tough Pérez. Entering the
bout on the strength of five straight victories, three of
which were title defenses, Taduran quickly made his presence
felt inside the ring. Scoring four total knockdowns, Taduran
left the audience on their feet after a devastating seventh
round knockout victory.
“I’m honored to have my first fight in the United States be
a successful title defense,” said Pedro Taduran. “Pérez
presented a new challenge, but it was a challenge I was able
to quickly figure out. This was my fourth title defense, and
I’ll speak with Sean Gibbons and be ready to face whoever is
next in line.”
In his highly anticipated second professional outing, Jimuel
Pacquiao Jr. (1-0-1, 1 KO) dominantly inserted himself in
the win column against Blackfoot, Idaho native Darrick Gates
(0-2). Although resulting in a draw, Pacquiao Jr.’s
monumental professional debut demonstrated immense promise
in his ability. Against Gates, Pacquiao Jr. put everything
together to out-pressure his opponent, mirroring his
father’s iconic fan-friendly fighting style. After
registering two knockdowns in the second round, Pacquiao Jr.
scored his first professional victory and knockout.
“It’s a weight lifted off my shoulders,” said Jimuel
Pacquiao Jr. “I learned so much in my first fight that I was
able to implement into my training camp and tonight. I have
the best team in the world around me at Wild Card Boxing
Club, and tonight’s result is a testament to that. The
experience I’m getting is invaluable and I look forward to
getting back to work.”
In the middleweight division, reigning WBC Silver
Middleweight Champion Lazaro Lorenzana (20-13 KOs) scored a
hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Venezuela’s
knockout artist Esneiker Correa (16-7, 14 KOs). On the heels
of a statement victory over grizzled veteran Luis Arias,
Lorenzana faced another stiff challenge in Correa. While
scoring a knockdown in round two, Lorenzana showcased
discipline throughout Correa’s overwhelming offense,
continuing to cement his status as a young prospect ready
for world championships.
“I’m very proud of my performance tonight and I believe I
proved I should be next in line for world title
opportunities,” said Lorenzana. “Correa was a tough opponent
who absorbed some of my best shots throughout 10 rounds. In
my last fight, I defeated a mainstay in the middleweight
division in Luis Arias, and I just took down a tough
competitor tonight. I’m going to reconvene with my team to
see what’s next, but I plan on returning to the ring soon.”
Meanwhile, a pair of undefeated prospects in Atascadero,
Calif. native Joseph Subia (4-0, 3 KOs) and Maywood,
Calif.’s Francisco Casillas (3-1-2, 2 KOs) squared off in a
featherweight tilt. In a competitive outing with one
scorecard calling the bout a draw, Subia was the budding
fighter to walk out with his perfect record intact via
majority decision following a tactical yet aggressive
performance.
In a lightweight affair kicking off the live broadcast on
ESPN Knockout, heavy-handed contenders Paolo Barredo (5-0, 2
KOs) and Roberto Monreal (13-27, 5 KOs) delivered a slugfest
to the raucous Southern California crowd. With both
competitors throwing haymakers with bad intentions
throughout the six-round-contest, Philippines’ Barredo
protected his spotless record via unanimous decision after
outlanding Chicago’s Monreal through punishing counter
punches.
Making the short drive south to Pechanga Resort Casino,
Menifee, Calif.’s professional debutant Antonio Villegas
(1-0) rushed Wahiawa, Hawaii native Alexander Nakamura (0-2)
at the first bell, forcing two knockdowns before securing a
knockout victory under a minute in the first round. Opening
the talent-stacked fight card, hometown favorite Malikah
Salazar (1-0) saw his hand raised in victory in his
professional debut following a back-and-forth battle against
Las Vegas’ Stephen Barbee (1-7).
Manny Pacquiao Promotions: Taduran vs. Perez marks the
promotion’s third straight sold-out show, proving to be a
leading force in the sport offering world championship
boxing and a platform for prospects to compete.
See below for the official results and scores:
MAIN EVENT:
IBF MINIMUMWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MAIN EVENT - 12 ROUNDS
Pedro Taduran (20-4-1, 14 KOs) defeated Gustavo Pérez
Álvarez (16-2, 5 KOs) via seventh round knockout (1:34)
CO-MAIN EVENT:
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT - 4 ROUNDS
Jimuel Pacquiao Jr. (1-0-1, 1 KO) defeated Darrick Gates
(0-2) via second round knockout (1:34)
MIDDLEWEIGHT BOUT - 10 ROUNDS
Lazaro Lorenzana (20-0, 13 KOs) defeated Esneiker Correa
(16-7, 14 KOs) via unanimous decision
Scorecards: 98-91, 96-93, 95-94
FEATHERWEIGHT BOUT - 4 ROUNDS
Joseph Subia (4-0, 3 KOs) defeated Francisco Casillas
(3-1-2, 2 KOs) via majority decision
Scorecards: 40-36, 39-37, 38-38
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT - 6 ROUNDS
Paolo Barredo (5-0, 2 KOs) defeated Roberto Monreal (13-27,
5 KOs) via unanimous decision
Scorecards: 60-54, 60-54, 59-55
SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT BOUT - 4 ROUNDS
Antonio Villegas (1-0) defeated Alexander Nakamura (0-2) via
first round knockout (0:53)
LIGHTWEIGHT BOUT - 4 ROUNDS
Malikah Salazar (1-0) defeated Stephen Barbee (1-7) via
unanimous decision
Scorecards: 40-36, 39-37, 39-37
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