Eumir Felix Marcial continues winning streak with KO of Ricardo Villalba
4 min readOlympic bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial of the Philippines put on an impressive display at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday, February 12 (Philippine time), stopping veteran Ricardo Villalba of Argentina in the second round of their eight-round middleweight bout.
Marcial dominated the fight with his crisp power punching and solid footwork, knocking down Villalba twice with a left uppercut and a right hook to the head.
American referee Mark Calo-oy stopped the fight with 36 seconds remaining in the second round after Villalba was wobbly and in no shape to continue.
In a video he posted on his Facebook, Marcial thanked all those who supported him and followed his fight.
“Sobra ko pong na appreciate ang lahat ng pagbati nyo sa akin. Asahan nyo, mga idol, na patuloy akong magsikap para magbigay karangalan sa ating bansa at sa lahat ng Pilipino na sumusuporta sa akin (I really appreciate all your greetings to me. Expect, idols, that I will continue to work hard to bring honor to our country and to all Filipinos who are supporting me),” he said.
KNOCKOUT. Filipino Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial continued his winning streak after a second-round knockout win over Argentinian boxer Ricardo Villalba at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday, February 12 (Philippine time). JHAY OH OTAMIAS PHOTOS
The victory was Marcial’s fourth straight win and showcased why he is one of the most promising fighters in the middleweight division.
The 27-year-old Marcial had to sharpen his jabs in preparation for the fight, due to straining his left elbow three weeks before the bout. Under the guidance of his Mexican trainer, Jorge Capetillo, the Zamboanga City native successfully focused on his jabs and improved his timing, leading to his impressive win over Villalba.
He attributed his victory to his camp. In a post-fight Facebook post, Marcial said,
” All my trainings have paid off and my hard work bore the fruit of our labor.”
“Like I said during interviews, I have learned a lot in my last three professional fights. I am most grateful to have had a very productive training with my camp and I am just happy to have shown the fans what I’ve improved on and prepared for over the last few months. Still overwhelmed by the amount of support so I just want to thank all the fans for their continued support,” he added.
Marcial was facing his most experienced opponent to date, but that didn’t stop him from putting on a dominant performance.
KNOCKOUT. Filipino Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Felix Marcial continued his winning streak after a second-round knockout win over Argentinian boxer Ricardo Villalba at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, on Sunday, February 12 (Philippine time). JHAY OH OTAMIAS PHOTOS
Villalba fell to 20-8-1, while Marcial improved his record to 4-0, with two knockouts.
The Marcial-Villalba encounter was an undercard to the Rey Vargas vs. O’Shaquie Foster fight, which was televised by Showtime Championship Boxing.
Foster made history in San Antonio, clinching his first world championship with a unanimous decision victory over Rey Vargas in their WBC junior lightweight (130 lbs) clash.
The judges’ scorecards read 116-112, 117-111, and 119-109, giving Foster the edge and stunning the odds-makers who had him as a slight underdog.
Marcial is promoted by Manny Pacquiao’s MP Promotions and is trained by Capetillo in Las Vegas.
