By Jake Donovan

Once again, Giovanni Segura breezes through the Windy City.

The opening bout on this week's edition of Telefutura Solo Boxeo series was over almost as soon as it began, as undefeated junior flyweight contender Giovanni Segura scored a one-punch first-round knockout over Wilfrido Valdez in Cicero, IL.

The bout, as long (or short) as it lasted, began as a sloppy affair, with Segura coming forward but unable to find his range, while Valdez respecting Segura's power. A low blow from Valdez was probably the lone significant punch that landed over the first minute of the bout. Neither fighter was interested in establishing their jab, as Valdez was finding success with the left uppercut, while Segura remained focused on landing his straight left.

Segura closed the gap between the two, beginning to land his straight left with regularity. Valdez found himself pinned in a corner – a dangerous predicament against the heavy-handed Segura – midway through the round, but managed to punch himself out of harm's way. Consecutive left uppercuts rattled Segura, but Valdez was overzealous in his follow-up, missing with another left hand.

All it takes is one mistake for Segura to find his opening, and the Mexican bomber found it in the form of Valdez' unprotected midsection. Segura landed a perfectly placed left uppercut to Valdez' ribs, sending the Colombian straight to the canvas. Valdez struggled to gather his senses and pull himself upright, ultimately taking the full ten count from referee John O' Brien.

Official time was 2:28 of the opening round.

Segura cruises to 19-0-1 (15KO), scoring his seventh knockout in his past eight fights, including his second straight first-round exit, both of which came in Telefutura openers. According to Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum, the next stop is a date with undefeated Argentinean Juan Carlos Reveco, a fight which Top Rank hopes to make official – and schedule - before years end.

Valdez falls to 23-3-3 (16KO) with the loss, his second straight. In terms of a measuring stick performance, Segura managed to blast out the Colombian one round earlier than fellow Mexican junior flyweight slugger Hugo Cazares, who took out Valdez in two rounds in Valdez' prior fight this past May.

Martin Castillo kept alive a potential March 2008 showdown with Jorge Arce, after his workmanlike 10-round decision over Jonathan Perez in their 10-round main event.

Fighting for the third time this year following his July 2006 TKO loss, Castillo started off the bout well, offering lateral movement and was quicker to the draw throughout most of the early rounds. Perez was largely unsuccessful in the first half before finally breaking through with a combo at the end of the sixth round. The two traded body shots toward rounds end before Perez managed to fire off three straight chin shots.

The lanky Colombian carried his good fortunes into the seventh round, but Castillo momentarily regained control of the fight. Perez would enjoy his best round of the fight in the eighth, though it started out with his losing a point for roughhouse tactics. Perez appeared to spiral out of control, warned seconds later for low blows before Castillo received the same warning. Once he settled in, Perez was able to beat Castillo to the punch for much of the round, though mainly due to Castillo growing frustrated over being repeatedly fouls.

Whatever momentum Perez had by rounds end disappeared the moment the bell rang to start the ninth. Castillo put it into cruise control over the final two, with Perez offering no answers, instead fighting just well enough to last the full ten.

Official scores were 99-90 (2x) and 98-91, all for Castillo, who improves to 33-2 (17KO) overall. The win was his third straight, all within the past five months, following his shocking 10 th round cuts-induced TKO loss to Nobuo Nashiro in Japan last July. 

Assuming Jorge Arce is successful in his tune-up bout on the December 1 Top Rank PPV show in Albuquerque, Arce-Castillo appears destined for an HBO Boxing After Dark slot next March, as part of a potential doubleheader with Julio Cesar Chavez Jr-Alfonso Gomez. As with Arce-Castillo, this bout is also contingent on the results of the December 1 PPV card, as Chavez faces what should easily be the toughest test of his young career against Rey Sanchez.

Perez falls to 13-3 (10KO), with all three losses coming in his last four bouts.

Jorge Paez Jr. continues to improve and mature, racking up his fifth straight win since suffering the first loss of his career earlier this year, pitching a shutout against Aaron Drake in their six round junior welterweight bout. Drake played defense for much of the bout, having some brief moments of success late in the fight. Otherwise, it was all Paez, all the way, who dominated the first five rounds before going in for the kill in the sixth. To his credit. Drake fought back well enough to keep Paez off of him, rather than merely go into survival mode.

It mattered very little in the end, with all three judges scoring it 60-54 for Paez, who rolls to 18-1 (10KO) with the win. Paez' lone loss was also on Telefutura, a shocking 4th round TKO loss against upside-down journeyman Ramon Guevara this past March.

Drake falls to 12-6 (9KO), losing for the second straight time, and fifth in his last seven bouts.

The show aired on Telefutura, live from Cicero Stadium in Cicero, IL (except on the West Coast feed), and was presented by Top Rank and 8 Count Productions.