After two agonizing near-misses, Carlos Canizales finally claimed the WBC light flyweight title with a body shot knockout of reigning titlist Panya Pradabsri in Caracas, Venezuela.

Canizales (28-3-1, 20 KO), who got hosed by the judges in Pradabsri’s (44-3, 27 KO) native Thailand last December, didn’t take his home field advantage for granted. He came out looking to tear Pradabsri’s head off from the opening bell, hurling combinations from the hip to the body and head. Pradabsri had the chutzpah to stand and trade with him, but looked poised to eventually wither under the onslaught.

In the fourth, however, Pradabsri surprised Canizales with a nasty right cross that sent him careening into the ropes for a called knockdown, clawing back some much-needed ground to enter the fifth down just one point on the open scorecards.

That would prove to be Pradabsri’s last hurrah. Canizales knuckled down, tightened up his combos, and absolutely crushed Pradabsri with a liver shot. Pradabsri crumpled in the corner and stayed there well after the referee waved things off.

It was a hell of a scrap for as long as it lasted and a feel-good moment for the Venezuelan, who had an argument for beating Kenshiro Teraji last year and absolutely deserved the win over Pradabsri eight months later. I’d love to see a showdown with the division’s other Thai titlist, Thanongsak Simsri, or the newly crowned Kyosuke Takami.