Pedro Taduran fell in the first round, and made his move in the third and fourth rounds to win by corner stoppage over a badly hurt Samuel Salva Saturday evening at the Jurado Hall of the Philippine Marine Corps headquarters at Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City.
Ring doctor Rolando Rivera found Salva too dazed to continue after examining the stricken fighter. Salva did not respond to questions. Rivera then instructed referee Danrex Tapdasan to stop the fight before the fifth round of their 12-round encounter.
Salva was loaded into a stretcher, fitted with an oxygen mask to help him breath and brought to the nearby St. Luke’s Medical Center. Taduran claimed the vacant International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight crown.
“Inasam ko na makatapos sa kanya. Nasaktan din ako. Tinamaan din ako sa body. Pero sa round 3, nakuha ko na,” said the 23-year-old Taduran, also known as Kid Pedro Heneral.
Salva, also known as the Silent Assassin, suffered his first setback after 17 wins since turning pro three years ago.
Salva managed to hold his ground in the first two rounds before Taduran trapped him against the ropes in third with a flurry of blows to the body which started Salva’s agony.
The 5’4” Taduran kept Salva on the run. The southpaw from Libon, Albay kept punishing his foe with numerous headshots.
“Nakuha ko na nung third round, kaya dinamihan ko na ang suntok,” said Taduran, who is with the Hardstone Monis Boxing Gym in Bangar, La Union.
The end of the fight came for Salva before the start of the fifth when he spat out his mouthpiece. Rivera examined him and got no response after asking if the battered fighter could still continue fighting.
This fight made history, according to MP Promotions chief Sean Gibbons, since this is the first-ever all-Filipino world title fight since May 2, 1925, when Pancho Villa, who is considered the greatest Filipino boxer in the first half of the 20th century, defended his crown against Leyte-native Clever Sencio in Manila.
IBF president Daryl Peoples came all the way from Chicago to join Gibbons, and Games and Amusement Board chairman Abraham Mitra in awarding Taduran his trophy.
Earlier, John Michael Zulueta claimed the Asian Boxing Federation jr. flyweight crown after Mark Anthony Florida of Malaybalay, Bukidnon retired at the end of the fourth round.
Robert Landero of Almario Boxing Stable won by unanimous decision over Davao City’s Joel Lino in their 107-lb fight.
Usman Wazeer of Survival Camp beat Thai bet Visut Tamkhunthod by technical knockout in 2:58 of the second round.
