Dubai demolition

GENESIS UNLEASHED. Genesis Servania (foreground) sends Jose Cabrera to the canvas in the second round of their WBO Inter-Continental title fight in Dubai. (CONTRIBUTED FOTO/DONG SECUYA)

DUBAIYoung talents Genesis Servania and Arthur Villanueva showed the world they are ready to move on to the next level with crucial wins.

Servania defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) Inter-Continental super bantamweight belt with a 10th-round stoppage of former world title challenger Jose Cabrera in the main event of Pinoy Pride 27 Duel in Dubai at the Dubai World Trade Center.

Servania displayed his impressive footwork and speed, landing two-punch combinations every now and then. The 23-year-old unbeaten prospect dropped Cabrera with a right to the temple in the second round.

After getting hurt again in the following round, Cabrera exchanged with Servania to the delight of the roaring fans. Servania consistently landed his blows and hurt Cabrera but the 27-year-old Mexican simply wouldnt go down.

Cabrera started to find his rhythm after the fifth and landed his counter punches. But Servania wouldnt let him gain ground and unleashed his combinations time and again.

In the ninth, Servania tagged Cabrera with a left followed up by a right that cut the latters right cheek. Cabrera complained to referee Danrex Tapdasan that he was head-butted intentionally but the Filipino referee said that it was unintentional. On replay, the cut was apparently caused by a punch.

Cabrera quit on his stool at the end of the ninth round, ending a somewhat exciting fight in anticlimactic fashion.

Servania remained unbeaten with a 25-0 record including 11 knockouts, while Cabrera dropped to 22-5-2 with 10 knockouts.

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Dubai demolition