Ruben Villa Impresses in Pro Debut, Knocks Out Gerardo Molina in 1

In Friday night’s “Path to Glory” event, lightweight contender Jose Roman (23-1-1, 16 KOs) extended his winning streak to nine, while amateur standout Ruben Villa tasted victory in the professional ranks for the first time.

Roman, from Garden Grove, Calif., delivered a devastating opening round knockout over Carlos Cardenas (20-11-1, 13 KOs) in the main event from the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, Calif.

Villa (1-0, 1 KO), a top-flight amateur with tremendous upside, is as good as advertised. In his first professional fight – after a stellar amateur career that saw him net back-to-back National Golden Gloves Championships – dispatched challenger Gerardo Molina (1-2, 1 KO) in the first round on Friday night.

Villa struck early with a counter left hook that put Molina on his heels and onto the canvas. Moments later, Villa, who is from Salinas, Calif., rocked Molina with a flurry of punches, knocking him out at the 2:25 mark of the opening round.

“It felt great to get that first win,” Villa said. “I didn’t go in thinking knockout, but I knew after the first knockdown that I was going to end it early. I had a bunch of friends and family in attendance. I’m glad I gave them something to smile about.”

“Ruben looked fantastic tonight,” said Ken Thompson, president of Thompson Boxing Promotions. “He gave us a glimpse into his immense potential. Ruben has a very bright future ahead of him and we are excited to continue to feature him on our Southern California shows.”

“Ruben looked sensational in his pro debut,” said Banner Promotions President, Arthur Pelullo. “Even though it was just inside of one round, you could tell that Ruben is a tremendous talent, and we are looking forward to his next fight, which should be announced shortly.

Villa is co-promoted through Thompson Boxing and Banner Promotions.

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