By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Eumir Marcial showed no signs of ring rust after finishing Ricardo Villalba of Argentina in just two rounds last February 12, 2023, held at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
The heavy-hitting Filipino boxer scored a second-round technical knockout victory and displayed one of his most flawless performances since entering the professional level.
With 2:25 remaining in the second round, Marcial landed a vicious right hook to Villalba’s head that officially wrapped up the eight-round middleweight bout.
Marcial set up his finishing blow after hitting Villalba with a clean left hook. After the Argentine backpedaled to the ropes, the Manny Pacquiao (MP) Promotions bet then found the perfect time to throw his big right hook.
It was all Marcial after the fight bell rang as the Filipino pug immediately wowed the crowd with his powerful hitting clinic.
Marcial, who is usually known to be a one-shot dependent boxer, also showed an improved offensive arsenal after unleashing three-punch combinations when the 1:30 mark hit the first round.
With only 25 seconds left before the first round closes, Marcial scored the first knockdown of the fight after sending a thudding left uppercut to Villalba’s body.
The Argentine veteran was able to beat the count from the referee and fought for his survival when Marcial went for the kill.
Marcial replicated his first-round performance after opening the second with quicker combinations. Aside from his three-punch bread and butter, the Filipino also showcased his improved double jab that kept on landing at Villalba’s chin.
Despite a more aggressive Villalba, Marcial’s offense stole the show and wrapped things up with his knockout blow at the 2:25 mark.
Marcial improved his professional record to four wins without a single loss and immediately felt comfortable fighting in his first-ever eight-rounder match despite getting used to six rounds in his previous three bouts.
Villalba on the other hand dropped to 20 wins and eight losses and is already on a slump after receiving his fourth-straight loss.
