By Jaime Castro-Núñez: Palenque del FEX. Mexicali, BC. Mexico’s Giovanni Segura (20-1-1, KO´s 16) captured last night in this city the WBA Light Flyweight title as he defeated César Canchila of Cereté, Colombia. The first round started with a hungry Segura, who attacked the champion from all angles and eventually dropped him down with a vicious right hand. The second round was pretty much a replica of the first one, with Segura trying to finish the job he started earlier.
Late into the round, Segura threw a wide left hook that landed on Canchila´s chin, flooring the South American for the second time. Canchila improved in the third, but Segura still got the best part of it. At the end of the round, Segura’s left eye started to swell and it seemed he was running out of gas.
During the first minute of the fourth and last round, Segura kept the pressure, backing the champ off. A nice uppercut by Canchila shook Segura, who by now had started to breathe throw his mouth. The champion seemed to start finding his way during the last minute, as he connected Segura with clean shots. At the very end of the round, Segura landed a left simultaneously with the bell. And here is where the controversy came. When the bell sounded, Canchila back pedaled, but the referee didn’t stop the action, which gave some time for exchange.
Around five seconds later, the timekeeper rang the bell 7 more times! Then Panamanian referee Julio César Alvarado separated the fighters. Canchila´s corner men, Orlando Pineda, Mike Díaz and Alberto Agámez stepped into the ring ready for the break. For a moment it was not clear if Alvarado had ended the round or halted the contest.
Javier Capetillo, who was on Segura’s corner, stepped into the ring to walk his pupil, but visibly confused, he asked: Are you stopping the fight? Alvarado answered by raising Segura’s hand. While this was taking place here, in the opposite corner, trainer Orlando Pineda told fight commissioner Jorge Contursi the bell had sounded. Contursi replied: “Yes, I heard the bell.” Even though the official time of the stoppage was 3:00, it is clear it was stopped inside the minute break. César Canchila, who fought out of the blue corner, fell to 27-2-0, KO´s 21. After what happened last night in Mexicali, a third match between these two warriors will be of interest for anyone who enjoys pure boxing.