Pinoy Pride 29: Pagara stops Mexican Chavez in two

DAVAO CITY—Jason “El Niño” Pagara delivered as promised Saturday night, stopping Mexican Cesar “El Dolar” Chavez in the second round in the headliner of Pinoy Pride 29 at USEP Gym here.

The power-punching Pagara knocked down Chavez twice in the first round before putting the Mexican away in the next, just as he predicted during Friday’s weigh-in. Referee Bruce McTavish waived off the bout in the 1:56 mark.

Figuring out his opponent early on, Pagara floored Chavez with a left hook to the body and then tried to finish him off with a barrage of body punches before the bell saved the Mexican.

Moving in for the kill, Pagara landed another left to Chavez’s face in the second that again sent the Mexican down. McTavish stepped in to save the Mexican from further punishment.

The methodical demolition raised Pagara’s record to 35-2 with 22 knockouts in his fifth defense of the World Boxing Organization International junior welterweight crown.

It also capped the Filipinos’ dominance in the eight-fight card jointly undertaken by ALA Promotions and ABS-CBN Sports.

“I saw his stomach was flabby during the weigh-in, so I attacked him there,” said Pagara.

Also hurdling their foreign foes were Genesis “Azukal” Servania, “King” Arthur Villanueva, Marc “Magnifico” Magsayo and Arjan Canillas.

Servania rose to 26-0 with a unanimous verdict over Mexican Juan Luis Hernandez to retain his WBO Intercontinental junior featherweight title.

Villanueva won in the same fashion over former world champion Julio Cesar Miranda, also of Mexico, and climbed to 27-0 with 14 knockouts.

Living up to hype as a potential world contender, the 19-year-old Magsayo stopped Thai Sukkasem Kietyongyuth in the fifth round to improve to 10-0 with eight knockouts.

Canillas knocked out Indonesian Stevi Ongen Fernadez with 12 seconds left in the fourth round.

Satisfied with Pagara’s form, ALA Promotions president-CEO Michael Aldeguer told sportswriters that the Cagayan de Oro-born standout will headline ALA’s initial promotional foray in the United States on May 23 in San Diego, California.

Pagara, who has yet to see action abroad, is being groomed to challenge the likes of Brandon Rios, Danny Garcia or Mike Alvarado.