The Philippine Online Chronicles

After knocking each other down in the first round, defending Puerto Rican World Boxing Organization (WBO) world featherweight champion Juan Manuel Lopez (29-0, 26 KOs) decimated Filipino challenger Bernabe Concepcion (28-4-1, 15 KOs) with a technical knockout (TKO) in the second round of their world title fight at the Coliseum Jose Miguel Agrelot in Hato Rey, San Juan, Puerto Rico this morning (Manila time).

Midway in the first round, the champion scored his first knockdown with a right hook on the jaw of his challenger.

After getting knocked down, Lopez chased Concepcion and consequently cornered him against the ropes with a flurry of punches. Surprisingly, the Filipino veteran unleashed a looping left roundhouse, which sent the champion to the canvas with 14 seconds remaining.

Lopez immediately wasted no time in showing his recovery by scoring the third knockdown of the fight with a left straight in the opening seconds of the second round. In the one minute mark, Concepcion briefly staggered Lopez with a right shot to the body, which proved to be his last hurrah.

Finally into the second half of what proved to be the last round, Lopez let go with a barrage of punches punctuated with a fight ending left hook as Concepcion kissed the canvas for the last time. He struggled to beat the count but was obviously in no shape to continue and wobbled in the arms of referee Luis Pabon, who mercifully stopped the brief but action-filled fight.

Lopez, popularly known as “Juanma,” previously defeated former Filipino world champion Gerry Penalosa via a ninth-round TKO last year.

In the main supporting bout, the Filipino Flash Nonito Donaire (24-1, 16 KOs) successfully defended his interim World Boxing Association (WBA) super flyweight crown by disposing Mexican Hernan “Tyson” Marquez (27-2, 20 KOs) with a three punch combination ending with his always-dependable left uppercut on the ninth round. Donaire won via TKO with Marquez’s corner conceding.

Donaire's compatriot Eden Sonsona (21-6, 7 KOs), however, was as unfortunate as Concepcion, losing by TKO after suffering his second and last knockdown in the hands of Puerto Rican Jonathan Oquendo in the ninth round. Sonsona dominated much of the fight, but the low blows and subsequent knockdown Oquendo inflicted in the eighth round took their crucial toll.