ANOTHER boxer from Mindanao eked out a technical knockout in the fourth round of a flyweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas on Sunday.
Genisis Libranza of Bayugan, Agusan del Sur in Caraga region unleashed a flurry of punches against Carlos Maldonado halfway through the eight-round fight, forcing the referee to stop the contest.
Libranza dominated the fight from the first round, driving his opponent to the ropes before releasing combinations to the head and body.
His record now stands at 19-1 with 11 knockouts.
The bout served as one of the preliminary fights for the Manny Pacquiao-Keith Thurman WBA welterweight championship in Las Vegas.
There, Filipino boxing icon and Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao won via a split decision, giving Thurman his first loss.
The judges scored it 115-113, 115-112 and 113-114 in favor of Pacquiao, a victory that made the senator the oldest welterweight champion in boxing history.
Pacquiao, defying age, was relentless throughout the match. He threw a right hook to Thurman’s face in the dying seconds of the first round, flooring the younger fighter.
Thurman spat blood at the end of the fifth round but managed to land solid punches from the sixth round onward.
In the tenth round, Thurman reeled and struggled for balance after absorbing a body shot.
His record dropped to 29-0 with this defeat.
Pacquiao, meanwhile, got his 62nd win in 71 professional fights.
Thurman said he would like to arrange a rematch. (Mindanews)
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