Servania halts Panamanian

GENESIS Servania felt insulted when Panamanian Rafael “El Torito” Concepcion brought a blue throw pillow to Friday’s prefight conference and then told the Cebu media that he would put the rising Filipino star to sleep.

On fight night Saturday, it was Servania who sent Concepcion to dreamland in the second round of their showdown for the WBO intercontinental super bantamweight crown at Waterfront Hotel and Casino.

Unloading a thunderous right uppercut to the jaw, Servania knocked out the brash Panamanian, noted for stopping AJ Banal in the 10th round five years ago, with 14 seconds left in the second round of the main event of “Pinoy Pride 22.”

The perfectly timed punch sent Concepcion flat on his back for over five minutes. He had to be attended to by ring physicians and given oxygen before he was able to sit in his corner.

The 24-year-old Servania, who hails from Bacolod, raised his slate to 23-0 with 9 KOs.

Concepcion, who was taken to a hospital for routine precautionary checkup according to a Philboxing report, fell to 18-7-1 with 8 KOs.

In the supporting bout, “King” Arthur Villanueva extended his win run to 23, including 13 KOs, with a first-round stoppage of Mexican Edgar Martinez.

Villanueva caught Martinez with a left hook seconds into the bout, flooring the Mexican who beat the count. But another right sent Martinez down anew and referee Tony Parsons halted the bout at the 1:49 mark. Roy Luarca