Valero Undefeated

Michael Lozada provided little resistance against Edwin Valero. Valero scored a first-round technical knockout of Lozada on Wednesday to retain his WBC super featherweight title. Needing just 72 seconds to dispatch Lozada (22-4-1), Valero improved to 21-0, with all his victories coming via knockout. The 25-year-old Venezuelan set down his first 18 opponents in the first round before recording a second-round TKO of Genaro Trazancos on March 25 and needing 10 rounds to topple Vicente Mosquera for the belt on August 5. A southpaw, Valero used a combination to knock down Lozada a minute into this bout. Shortly thereafter, he sent the Mexican back to the canvas with another flurry before referee Rafael Ramos stopped the fight. Valero, who cannot fight in the United States due to brain scan irregularities, has his sights set on WBC international super featherweight champ Manny Pacquiao. "I want Manny next and I hope (promoter) Bob Arum is listening," Valero said. "I don't want to hear any more excuses from Manny about not wanting to fight me." Also on Wednesday's card was Cristian Mijares, who successfully defended his WBC super flyweight title with a 10th-round TKO of Katsushige Kawashima. A rematch of their bout on September 18 in which Mijares (30-3-2, 12 KOs) captured the belt, this one ended when referee Mike Ortega stepped in as the Mexican pummeled Kawashima (30-6) in the corner.