Oscar Collazo Defeats Jayson Vayson in Controversial 7th-Round Stoppage
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 21 Sep 2025
Filipino challenger Jayson Vayson’s dream of dethroning the reigning unified minimumweight champion ended in bitter controversy on Saturday night (Sunday in Manila), when referee Thomas Taylor halted the action in the seventh round at the Fantasy Springs Resort & Casino in Indio, California. With the stoppage, Puerto Rican star Oscar Collazo retained his WBO, WBA, and RING titles—though not without debate.
From the outset, the fight carried an edge of drama. Late in the opening round, Collazo landed a right cross that appeared to send Vayson to the canvas. Yet replays revealed a different story: Vayson had bent low to evade the punch, only to be shoved downward by Collazo’s forearm. The call stood as a knockdown, an early mark against the Filipino that set the tone for the night.
Still, Vayson, who had to drop down from his natural 108-pound division to meet Collazo at minimumweight, refused to wilt. He showed heart and resilience, answering Collazo’s relentless forward pressure with sharp counters and a disciplined guard. In the fourth round, he seized momentum, digging hooks into the champion’s body that visibly rattled Collazo and silenced the pro-Collazo crowd.
As the middle rounds unfolded, the bout turned into a give-and-take battle. Collazo pressed forward, unleashing his trademark combinations, while Vayson answered with crisp counters that repeatedly found their mark. It was a close, competitive contest—each man giving as good as he received.
The controversy peaked in the seventh round. With Vayson backed into the ropes, Collazo flurried with punches, many blocked but some landing clean. Suddenly, the referee jumped in and waved off the fight. The broadcast team was stunned, and moments later it was revealed that the stoppage had been requested by Vayson’s corner.
The broadcast team's unofficial scored stood at 57-56 in Collazo's favor after six rounds.
In his post-fight interview, a visibly disappointed Vayson admitted he was shocked when the referee stepped in. “At that point, I was taking his shots, but I could handle them,” he said. “I respect my corner’s decision to protect me from harm, but I still felt I was in the fight.”
For Collazo, the win marked the seventh defense of his WBO title and the second successful defense of the WBA and RING belts he annexed from Thailand’s Thammanoon Niyomtrong last November. He improved his unblemished record to 13-0, with 10 victories coming inside the distance—cementing his reputation as one of boxing’s most formidable champions in the lighter weight classes.
For Vayson, it was a heartbreaking setback. Handpicked by Team Collazo for this title defense, he had entered the fight as the underdog but won respect with his grit, composure, and flashes of brilliance. Now 14-2 with 8 knockouts, he leaves Indio with his second career loss—but also with the sense that, on another night and under different circumstances, his “chance of a lifetime” might have turned out differently.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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