(February 18, 2006) Las Vegas, Nevada (Aladdin Theater of the Performing Art)—-

The beer was still cold and the seats were barely warm when WBO welterweight Antonio Margarito turned out the lights on challenger Manuel "Shotgun" Gomez.

Margarito easily retained his crown in just 74-seconds by blasting out Gomez in front of 5,309 screaming fans in the first round. Margarito dominated the action from the outset and along the way set the stage for a possible showdown with the elusive WBC titleholder Floyd Mayweather Jr.

To further prove that point Top Rank promoter Bob Arum claimed he has all ready reserved the Thomas & Mack Center for a July 29 bout with Margarito facing the winner of the upcoming April 8 Mayweather-Zab Judah fight.

--Bombs Away--

Margarito (33-4, 24 KO's) nailed the journeyman turned challenger Gomez (28-11-2, 19 KO's) with a scalding right hand to the face twenty seconds into the 1st of the scheduled 12 rounder. The shot drove outgunned Gomez (147) careening back into the ropes.

Margarito (146 ½) coming off a devastating fifth round TKO over Kermit Cintron last April, continued to pull the trigger and he nailed Gomez, Nuevo Laredo, Mexico with a looping right hand that caught the challenger square on the jaw. Gomez attempted to counter but Margarito, Tijuana, Mexico opened up with a volley of shots including a head snapping left uppercut followed by a rocket-like right hand to the face.

Gomez hit the deck face first and after crashing to the canvas he spit out his mouthpiece. Crumpled on his side in a fetal position Gomez appeared done for the evening. However, as soon as Richard Steele waved off the title bout at 1:14 of the first round, Gomez staggered to his feet and vigorously protested the decision of the veteran referee to stop the fight.

The challenger's legs were on unable to back up his mouth and he continued wobble around the ring and at one point actually shoved Steele, while complaining about the quick decision to halt the proceedings. That transgression evoked the ire of Nevada State Boxing Chairman Marc Ratner and Gomez is now looking at a possible fine and suspension.

With the 74-second victory Margarito earned a cool $400,000 and the hopes of a bigger payday with Mayweather on the horizon.

"I knew once I started landing my shots, it was going to be over because I knew I am a lot stronger than he is," Margarito said after the sudden TKO. "I win my fights in the gym. I train so hard. We knew Gomez was going to come with everything. If Floyd doesn't recognize me now, I proved myself with my punches tonight. He has to recognize me as one of the worlds great welterweights."

What remains to be seen is the outcome of Mayweather versus Judah and if Arum can sign the winner to finally meet Margarito this summer in Las Vegas.

As for the "Shotgun", well, he never chambered a round.

--Viloria Defeats Aguirre--

Former United States Olympian Brian "Hawaiian Punch" Viloria (19-0, 12 KO's) retained his WBC light flyweight crown by scoring a commanding 12 round unanimous decision over Mexican challenger Jose Antonio Aguirre (33-5-1, 20 KO's).

Aguirre (107 ½) set the pace early in the going and Viloria (107) gave ground fighting off the ropes and was content to counter the challenger's shots. Aguirre, Tabasco, Mexico jolted the champion in the second round with a sharp right hand to the head followed by a digging right hand to the body. Viloria managed to escape from the neutral corner began putting his punches together, as Aguirre faded in the second half of the title bout. Viloria's relentless body attack took their toll on the challenger and he hurt Aguirre in the 7th, after connecting with two riveting right hands.

Viloria won the fight going away to mark his second successful title defense since first claiming the WBC crown with a seventh round TKO win over Eric Ortiz, last March in Mexico City. Judge C.J. Ross scored the bout 116-112, while Glenn Trowbridge tallied 117-111 and Ray Hawkins had it 116-112, all for the native of Waipahu, Hawaii.

Undercard: In a battle of "Little Big Men" WBO 105-pound champion Ivan "El Nino De Hierro" Calderon (25-0, 5 KO's) successfully made his eighth title defense by scoring a commanding 12 round unanimous decision over outclassed Isaac Bustos (24-8-3, 13 KO's). Calderon (104) spent the entire evening landing whistling shots off of the outgunned Bustos' (105) skull and midsection to secure the one-sided victory. Calderon, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico pitched a near shutout, as judge Clark Sammartino scored the fight 120-108, while Bill Graham had it 119-109 and Doug Tucker tallied 120-108, all for the diminutive minimumweight world champion. In junior welterweight action, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (24-0-1, 18 KO's) squared the books with Carlos Molina (8-2-1, 4 KO's) by scoring a somewhat unpopular six round majority decision. Molina (145 ½) held the son of the legendary Mexican world champion to a draw three months ago but this time out Chavez Jr. nailed down the win on two out of three judges' scorecards. Both judges Duane Ford and Patricia Morse Jarman scored the bout 58-56, while Jerry Roth had it even 57-57.