Edwin Valero continued the most impressive KO streak in boxing last night at the Frank Erwin Centre in Austin, Texas, moving to to lightweight and stopping heavy-handed Colombian danger man Antonio Pitalua to win the vacant WBC title.

The Venezuelan southpaw had made four defenses of the WBA Super Feather crown and was going up in weight against tough customer Pitalua but any questions as to whether Valero's power would follow were soon dispelled as Pitalua was finished off in the second frame.

In the first round, Valero established his control over the bout's pace, using a busy offense to force Pitalua onto the defensive and using good footwork to avoid trouble when Pitalua did thow anything.

Valero and Pitalua traded big shots as the first came to a close, the only exchange thus far into the bout. More...

© John Rivera Hoganphotos / Golden Boy Promotions

The American debut of boxing's top slugger at any weight, Edwin "El Inca" Valero, headlines a big show tonight at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.

Venezuelan southpaw Valero, 24-0 (24), knocked out his first 18 opponents in the very first round and won the WBA Super Feather title in August, 2008, climbing off the canvas to stop Vicente Mosquera in the tenth frame.

After four title defenses, all by stoppage, 27 year old Valero now comes to the US to contend for the vacant WBC Lightweight title against Mexico City based Colombian Antonio Pitalua, 46-3 (40). More...

© John Rivera Hoganphotos / Golden Boy Promotions

12 rounds, vacant WBC Lightweight title
Edwin Valero: 134.5 lb
Antonio Pitalua: 135 lb More...

Unbeaten in 25 fights with 18 knockouts, and ranked in the top five by three of the four major world sanctioning bodies, Maywood, California’s Urbano Antillon has more than earned his right to a major fight on premium cable television or for a world championship, yet the top names at 135 pounds continue to avoid him at every opportunity.

And the soft-spoken Antillon has had enough. More...

The talent rich lightweight division will be on center stage at the Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas on Saturday, April 4, as Golden Boy Promotions presents "Lightweight Lightning."

The bill is an unprecedented pay-per-view event that will feature eight elite 135 pounders in four pivotal match-ups that will undoubtedly re-arrange the hierarchy of the highly competitive lightweight division in one night. More...

38 year old Colombian slugger Antonio Pitalua showed a stunning return to form last night at Arena Coliseo in Monterrey as the Mexico City based veteran knocked out former WBC interim champion Jose Armando Santa Cruz to win a WBC Lightweight title eliminator.

At 5 foot 10, Santa Cruz towered over Pituala but the native Los Angeles boxer failed to convert advantages in height and youth and was sent to the floor in the fourth round by Pitalua's power punching techniques.

Santa Cruz tried to get back in the match but his success at that was short lived as he went crashing to the canvas again in the sixth frame and this time, he was counted out at 2:50 of the round.

Pitalua held regional titles in the late 1990's before mounting an unsuccessful bid to unseat previously undefeated WBO Lightweight Champion Arturo Grigorian in Germany in November, 2000.

On the undercard, former WBO NABO featherweight titlist Eduardo Escobedo, 22-3 (15), won a ten rounder against ex-Mexican Super Bantam beltholder Miguel Roman, 25-4 (17), at featherweight.

Lots of action south of the border this weekend and we start with a big show at Palacios de los Desportes in Mexico City where Edgar Sosa retained his WBC Light Flyweight title for the fifth time by stopping southpaw Takashi Kunishige in the eighth round on Saturday night.

Kunishige, 18-3-1 (2), came into the contest not having lost in over five years and drew with Japanese champion Munetsugu Kayo last time out but facing the WBC Champion proved to be a step too far for the 32 year old from Osaka.

It's a testament to the Japanese visitor's toughness that he lasted as long as he did against the superior skilled Mexico City man but his run came to an end when Sosa forced a referee stoppage at 1:39 of the eighth frame after dealing out much punishment.

On the undercard, NABF Flyweight titlist Adrian Hernandez, 13-0-1 (11), was held to a fifth round technical draw by challenger Eric Ortiz, 28-8-2 (18), a former WBC Light Flyweight Champion.

OPBF Light Flyweight strapholder and Filipino southpaw Juanito Rubillar, 46-10-7 (22), won a WBC title eliminator against Omar Nino Romero, 25-3-1 (11), via a 12 round split decision. More...