EUMIR FELIX MARCIAL impressed—with emphasis—on Sunday via a second-round technical knockout victory over veteran Ricardo Ruben Villalba of Argentina to go unbeaten in four professional fights.
Marcial, 27, first knockdown Villalba with solid body blows just 28 seconds before the first-round bell sounded.
And displaying skills and ring savvy that showed he was ready and prepared for the 33-year-old Argentinian who packed a 28-fight pro career, Marcial unleashed solid jabs that set up a lethal right hook that sent Villalba wobbling and prompted American referee Mark Calo-oy to end the fight with 48 seconds remaining in the second round.
“We needed to improve on my jabs and my timing to be perfect for the past five months of full-condition and professional training,” the Tokyo Olympics bronze medalist Marcial told BusinessMirror via internet call.
Marcial’s fourth pro fight was scheduled for eight rounds.
Villalba fell to a 20-8-1 win-loss-draw record.
Marcial strained his left elbow three weeks before the fight and was compelled by his Mexican trainer Jorge Capetillo to sharpen his jabs to ease that part of his body of further stress.
“I had to focus on my jabs because I had a hard time stretching my left arm,” Marcial said. “I’m really thankful to my team for taking care of me and everything is okay now with my elbow.”
The Marcial-Villabla fight was an undercard to the ‘O Shaquie Foster-Rey Vargas main event for the vacant World Boxing Council super featherweight belt at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
Marcial won his first professional four-rounder against Andrew Whitfield in 2020, survived three knockdowns in beating another American, Isiah Hart, in April 2022 and Steve Pichardo via unanimous in October last year.
He stayed in the US after the Pichardo fight and continuously trained under Capetillo.
Marcial is expected to return home to Manila anytime soon for a two-week break to attend to some business before returning to the United States for a fifth fight in the second quarter of the year.
Image credits: Jhay Oh Otamias