By Cliff Rold

With the vacant WBO Jr. Featherweight title on the line at the Coliseo Ruben Rodriguez in Bayamon, Puerto Rico, hometown hero 25-year old Wilfredo Vazquez Jr. (18-0-1, 15 KO) quickly seized the opportunity of his first title shot with a dominating fourth round knockout out of undefeated former WBO 115 lb. titlist Marvin Sonsona (14-1-1, 12 KO) of the Philippines on Saturday night.  A second generation fighter, Vazquez Jr. showed a style, poise, and desire often lacking in the sons of former World champions.

Sonsona weighed in just beneath the limit at 121 ¼, Vazquez Jr. spot on the division limit at 122 lbs.

Both men took a moment to size each other up, Sonsona firing at the belly, Vazquez jabbing at the head.  They stayed cautious until near the minute mark when Vazquez found a hole for a quick lead right and Sonsona answered with a pair of lead southpaw lefts.  A similar flaring came in the last twenty seconds of an evenly contested frame.

The action was more consistent in the second, Sonsona landing some sharp lefts early but Vazquez dominating the back half of the round and backing Sonsona up with right hands.  A swelling formed under the left eye of Sonsona and, perhaps smelling blood, Vazquez jogged across the ring as the bell sounded to begin round three. 

A Sonsona left got Vazquez’ attention and the local favorite answered with a thudding lead left hook and right hand.  With Sonsona’s back to the ropes near the midway mark, Vazquez stepped in with three hard left hooks to the body.  Sonsona responded with a landed, and then blocked, left uppercut to work off the strands.  Sonsona was back there by the closing seconds, eating harsh leather downstairs and a clipping left hook to the cheek.

Vazquez again charged to start round four, wasting little time pressuring Sonsona to the ropes, drilling right hands through Sonsona’s guard and whipping left hooks to the ribs.  Sonsona pivoted and escaped again but couldn’t stay out of harm’s way.  Trapped again with less than half the round to go, Vazquez used a body shot to set up the end.  He sent Sonsona’s head flailing over the top rope with a right hand and complimented the blow with an explosive left hook across the belly of Sonsona.  Sonsona fired back with a left hand before the signals sent by the body blow reached his brain and he collapsed to the floor clutching his midsection.  Sonsona sat partially up near the ropes but made no attempt to rise, referee Luis Pabon finishing the ten count at 2:01 of round four.

Vazquez collapsed in his corner with joy, soon to be joined by a massive cadre of friends, family, and the embrace of his trainer and father who once posted a fantastic title reign at Jr. Featherweight, defending the WBA title nine times from 1992-95.  Vazquez Sr. also won titles at Bantamweight and Featherweight, giving his son even more to aspire to.

Speaking after the fight, Vazquez Jr. gave credit to Sonsona.  “He’s a great boxer and young man.  He had a great desire and I knew he would come straight at me.  I knew he was in great shape.”  Looking to the future, Vazquez Jr. stated, “I’m interested in trying to scale the heights of this division,” but didn’t call for anyone specific.  It is a division which can present challenges, particularly in the form of WBC titlist Toshiaki Nishioka (35-4-3, 22 KO) and WBA beltholder Poonsawat Kratingdaenggym (40-1, 28 KO).

Part of a split broadcast, Vzsquez-Sonsona added three televised supporting contests spotlighting three 2008 Puerto Rican Olympians, two of them twin brothers in their professional debuts.  24-year old Jr. Bantamweight McWilliams Arroyo (1-0, 1 KO), 113, did Bantamweight brother McJoe Arroyo (1-0), 118, one round better on Saturday, stopping Eliecer Sanchez (0-1), 114 ¼, at 1:46 of the opening round.  McJoe needed a hair longer, stopping Giovanni Rivera (0-3), 118 ¼, at 25 seconds of round two.  Six-foot-six 21-year old Cruiserweight Carlos Negron (8-0, 6 KO), 186, added another first round stop, dropping 37-year old Roy Ashworth (5-8, 1 KO) three times, the last for a stoppage at 2:59 of round one.

The other half of the broadcast emanated from the Coliseo Olimpico de la UG in Guadalajara, Mexico, headlined by an inconclusive WBC Jr. Flyweight title fight between Filipino 28-year old titlist Rodel Mayol (26-4-2, 20 KO) of Los Angeles, California, and hometown former titlist Omar Nino Romero (28-3-2, 11 KO).  The bout ended in a draw after three rounds, but fans went home having seen a nasty knockout as well.

Round one showed both veterans had done their homework, struggling to land clean blows of significance but not for lack of trying and each kept a hard pace.  There was no issue with landing in round two.  Just seconds in, Mayol drove a hard left underneath the guard of Nino and the Mexican staggered backwards to the ropes covering up.  He maneuvered away from Mayol and back to mid-ring only to be caught by another left driving him backwards again to the ropes.  Another Mayol left landed and Nino appeared hurt but kept his feet.  A Mayol right, then another, then a left all found his head but Nino kept his senses and slipped shots to evade danger. 

The round was still only a minute old when a Nino counter left hook sent Mayol backwards towards the ropes, Mayol also rubbing his head as if he’d been butted.  Mayol quickly grabbed the advantage again, turning Nino to the strands and the action slowed in the final minute with Mayol coming forward.

What was becoming an interesting fight was ended with odd circumstances in the third. 

Mayol, looking for the left hooks and uppercuts he’d used to success in the third struggled to do so while Romero focused his attack on the body.  Straying well beneath the cup line, Nino landed a low blow and Mayol dropped his hands as he reached for his groin.  Referee Vic Drakulich, out of position as he attempted to call time for the foul, was extending to step between the two men and grabbing the right arm of Nino as a crushing left hook caught the chin of Mayol flush.  Mayol was unconscious before he hit the floor and Nino rushed to the corner to celebrate what he assumed a victory.

The celebration ended quickly as officials scurried about, apparently reviewing video replays and discussing the verdict with Drakulich.  Ultimately the contest was ruled a technical draw, Mayol already stretchered out and on his way to the hospital.

With a safe and healthy recovery for Mayol, a rematch is likely.

In a grueling battle on the Mayol-Nino undercard, a pair of Lightweights supplied the best bout of the night but not without some room for debate at the finish.  24-year old Daniel Estrada (22-1, 18 KO), 135, of Mexico City, Mexico, came off the deck in a wild second round and survived some heavy shots throughout the night to defeat Tijuana, Mexico’s 29-year old Angel Alirio Rivero (21-8-1, 14 KO) via tenth round stoppage.  Rivero, who had taken plenty of big shots but who stayed in the fight, was stopped without going down in a questionable end.  The win gave Estrada his tenth straight inside the distance.

The broadcast was carried in the U.S. on pay-per-view through Integrated Sports, promoted by PR Best Promotions and Boxeo De Gala.

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com