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Showing amazing resiliency after being knocked down in the dying seconds of the opening round by a vicious left hook from previously unbeaten Prince Albert Pagara, Mexico’s Cesar Juarez came charging back and eventually crushed the world title hopeful with a series of bludgeoning punches that sent the Filipino crashing to the canvas early in round eight where he lay prostrate on all fours for several minutes before being stretchered out and taken by ambulance to the Stanford Medical Center.

Dr. Ed de la Vega who was part of the three-man team which worked the corner of Prince Albert that included trainer Edmund Villamor and his brother Edito, accompanied Prince Albert to the hospital and informed The Standard Pagara will undergo a CTScan but was alert and conversing with him.

It was obvious that Juarez who displayed the same kind of remarkable comeback when he lost in his bid for the vacant WBO junior featherweight title to Nonito “The Filipino Flash” Donaire in Puerto Rico last December where Donaire banked on two knockdowns in the 4th round to win by a somewhat lopsided decision which didn’t reflect the closeness or the brutality of the championship rounds, was in his elements against Prince Albert, who he claimed in a pre-fight press conference didn’t have the experience and was not in the same class to face him. Juarez regularly pushed Pagara to the ropes and bombarded him with thundering body shots that soon began to sap the energy out of the young Filipino in a fight that was regarded as the ultimate test of whether he was ready for a possible world title shot.

Juarez provided the answer in emphatic fashion as he began to dominate the fight after being stunned by the initial first round knockdown.

In the seventh round Juarez backed Prince Albert against the ropes and unleashed a two-fisted assault that had Pagara in trouble. However, Pagara used his footwork to get back into the center of the ring but Juarez pinned him down again and often connected with solid blows to the head. Pagara was on wobbly legs as he headed to the corner at the bell. Smiling in the corner before the eighth, Pagara rose slowly.

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Boxing Scene noted that Pagara’s corner seemed to be helping him get his balance and he sort of stumbled out of the corner without so much as an eye on Juarez. Pagara walked right into a flush four punch combination and was deposited right back in the corner he’d just left. The referee jumped in to halt the action immediately. The official time of the stoppage was :15 seconds of round eight.

Juarez called out Donaire and asked for a rematch which Donaire readily agreed to but said his promoters would have to work it out.

Donaire who was on the ABS-CBN TV panel at the San Mateo Events Center said he thought “more than anything it was the exhaustion” that led to the first KO loss in Pagara’s while there were those who claimed that Prince Albert was too confident and bordered on being cocky.

The end was unexpected as it was sudden and stunned predominantly Filipino crowd which was still celebrating after WBO junior welterweight world No.1 ranked Jason “El Nino” Pagara, the elder brother of Prince Albert scored an explosive 3rd round knockout over Abraham “ The Swift” Alvarez who was sent crashing to the canvas with a thundering body shot followed by a picture-perfect right hook to end the scheduled eight round bout at :55 seconds of round three.

With the win Jason improved to 39-2 with 24 knockouts while the clearly over-matched Alvarez dropped to 21-10-1 with 10 knockouts.

www.philboxing.com/news/story-120619.html

 

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By Byron Spurlock
Photos: Josue Martinez –

The “Fists of the Future” press conference was held Thursday afternoon at the San Mateo Event Center for the fights this Saturday. Unbeaten WBO #2, IBF #4, WBC #10 junior featherweight “Prince” Albert Pagara (26-0, 18 KOs) headlines against former world title challenger Cesar “Corazon” Juarez (17-5, 10 KOs). In the co-feature, WBO #1 junior welterweight Jason “El Niño” Pagara (38-2, 23 KOs) meets Abraham “The Swift” Alvarez (21-9-1, 10 KOs).

“Prince” Albert Pagara

How does it feel to fight here in the United States?

I’m very excited and ready for the fight. The US is the mecca of boxing and I’m ready to give the fans a good showing.

On Juarez’ comments that Pagara isn’t at his level as a fighter.

(Smiling) Juarez says that I’m not at his level. Those results will be determined in the ring. We’ll see come this Saturday night.

What has been your reception since being here to the US and where have you been training?

The reception has been good and we’ve been training here at the “Undisputed Gym” in San Mateo, CA.

What has been some of your preparation for the upcoming fight against Juarez?

We’ve been studying the way Juarez fights and we’ve been watching how he throws his punches and how he takes punches and we’re ready for the fight. We’ve focused a lot on speed and stamina and footwork for this fight. We’re ready for whatever he comes at us with.

What does this fight mean to you as a Filipino and what is next for you?

It would be a deep honor for me to bring home the belt to the Philippines. I plan to leave here with a win. As for who I fight next after Juarez, it doesn’t matter who I fight next.

Cesar Juarez

What is your prediction for the fight this Saturday night?

It’s going to be a battle between us on this Saturday night, I feel that I’ll come out on top. I feel that I lost the last fight against Nonito Donaire because I was going through some personal issues and some hardships in my personal life. I want a rematch because I wasn’t healthy in the last fight. As for now, I’m very focused for this fight. I feel a lot better for this fight and I’m ready.

What do you feel about “Prince” Albert?

I consider Prince a good fighter but he doesn’t have the experience that I do.

What are your thoughts about fighting here in the United States?

It’s a great honor and I came here to win and that’s what is going to happen. In my country, this is an important and big fight that I have come Saturday night.

Edmund Villamor – Pagara Chief Trainer

When asked to comment on the statement that Cesar Juarez said “Prince Albert is not at my level with experience.”

Juarez says that we are not at his level but we are ranked #2 in the world so we will see come Saturday night if we are at Juarez’s level.

Promoter Michael Aldeguer

How excited are you to have a boxing card like this in the US?

We’re very happy to be a part of this and making this happen. This is going to be an exciting night because both fighters have something riding on the line for this fight…this is a make or break fight for Albert and I have a feeling that this is going to be a tough fight…winning a world title is the main goal for “Prince” Albert and he knows it’s going to be tough and you’re going to have to face tough fighters like Juarez.

Jason “El Nino” Pagara

How do you feel about Alvarez’ fighting style being that in the majority of this fights, he either wins by knockout or loses by knockout?

Alvarez’ fighting style is definitely favoring me and come Saturday night in the ring we are expecting a knockout.

Ricardo Baltazar – Juarez Trainer

When asked how ready is Cesar Juarez for his match against “Prince” Albert.

We are more than ready, “Prince” Albert has not faced someone like Juarez before.

Vince Rodriguez

There are plans to already have another ALA Boxing card fight in Carson, CA on September 24th. From there the plan is to fight here in the US more often. We are also hosting more fights in other countries as well such as Dubai. We all know that the US is the mecca of boxing and that is why we’re here to showcase these fighters. Mark my words, the fight card that we’re hosting on September 24th is going to be Philippines against Mexico.

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www.fightnews.com/Boxing/fists-of-the-future-final-press-conference-345169