Indonesian Yordan KO’s PH’s Villanueva in IBO featherweight fight

Indonesia's Daud Jordan, left, knocks out his opponent Lorenzo Villanueva, right, of Philippines to win the IBO vacant World Featherweight Title during the Dragon Fire Championship Boxing event in Singapore, Saturday May 5, 2012.(AP Photo/Wong Maye-E)

COTABATO CITY, Philippines—The Philippines’ Lorenzo Villanueva lived up to his reputation of knocking down his boxing opponents during the first few minutes of the fight.  But his eagerness proved to be his undoing and he ended up losing to Indonesian Daud Yordan in the fight for the International Boxing Organization’s (IBO) World Featherweight Title held at the Marina Bay Sands Resort in Singapore on Saturday evening.

Villanueva, known as the Thunderbolt from Midsayap, North Cotabato, sent Indonesian Daud Yordan down on the canvass barely a minute into the first round of their fight.

The Filipino fighter, who has been signed up by Manny Pacquiao manager Freddie Roach, and underwent a three-week training with the Hall of Fame trainer late in 2011, is considered a street fighter who, while awkward inside the ring, possesses tremendous power and has knocked down all of his opponents as a pro, with 23 of them not lasting beyond 10 rounds.

His last three fights before facing Yordan ended in first-round knockouts with the shortest time being at one minute 17 seconds. The last knockout was against Diego Ledesma of Mexico, who only lasted one minute 25 seconds.

But on Saturday, Villanueva appeared so eager to finish off Yordan in the succeeding round that he left his defenses down, according to trainer Bruce Lerio, who, along with Villanueva’s manager, former North Cotabato Governor Manny Piñol, flew to Singapore to watch the fight.

Lerio said Villanueva, 27, did not listen to the advice to take 26-year old Yordan – a former Olympian considered as one of Indonesia’s two top professional boxers – slowly.

Lerio told the Philippine Daily Inquirer by e-mail that Villanueva attacked Yordan at will during the second round and was floored twice instead.

He said it prompted Australian referee Phil Austin to stop the fight and declare Yordan the winner.

“We were almost there. Yordan was badly hurt but Villanueva’s inexperience did him in,” Lerio said.

Villanueva’s relatives in Midsayap, North Cotabato, were saddened by the outcome of his international stint.

But they said the pugilist was still young and opportunities abound for him in the boxing world.

“He should not lose hope; learning experience was what he got, he is still young,” Susan, Villanueva’s younger sister, told the Inquirer by phone.

“I hope he won’t lose hope on his desire to bring home an international title,” Susan said.

Originally posted at 03:56 pm | Sunday, May 06,  2012