TEMECULA, California — Pedro Taduran lined himself up for a possible shot at becoming an undisputed champion when he halted Mexican challenger Gustavo Perez Alvarez in the seventh round to keep the International Boxing Federation (IBF) minimumweight crown on Saturday (Manila time).

Before a roaring crowd at the Pechanga Resort Casino that included eight-division legend Manny Pacquiao, Taduran scored a total of four knockdowns, the last one forcing referee Thomas Tayor to pull the plug on Alvarez’s bid at the 1:34 mark.

After being outboxed in the first round, Taduran shifted his aggression level to several notches that allowed him to produce two knockdowns in the fourth frame courtesy of the Bicol-born slugger’s shots to the body.

Sensing the urgency of the situation, Alvarez raised his production and won the fifth round when Taduran slammed home a wicked left straight that drove Alvarez to the floor, butt-first.

Taduran had the opportunity to wrap it up but the bell sounded, giving Alvarez another reprieve.

He appeared to have shaken off the cobwebs as he looked recovered in the sixth canto but Taduran knew Alvarez was slowing down and becoming weaker.

“I could take his best shots that’s why I put the pressure on him although there was a time early in the fight that he rocked me,” Taduran, making the third defense of the IBF 105-pound title, said after boosting his win-loss-draw record to 20-4-1 with 14 knockouts.

In the seventh, Taduran pressed the action once again and he sent Alvarez down again after landing another left to the chest, his legs and twisting as he tried to balance himself.

It was at this time Taylor knew he had to step in as Taduran was growing stronger and the tank of Alvarez apparently leaking.

The loss dropped Alvarez’s mark to 16-2-0 with five knockouts.

But Taduran, 29, had nothing but praise for his fellow southpaw Alvarez, 26, for putting up a gallant stand.

“He was hard to hit at first, rounds one and two, I found it hard to pin him down but once my left (hand) found its mark, things got better.”

Moments after his first stoppage win since July 2024, Taduran expressed the desire to meet Puerto Rican two-belt holder Oscar Collazo, the World Boxing Organization and World Boxing Association belts.

“I depends on who my handlers will line up for me but I would love to fight Collazo so we can determine who is the best fighter in the division,” said Taduran, who is being promoted by the well-connected Sean Gibbons.

But Taduran believes he has to sharpen up his timing and increase his power output in the event he gets the Collazo clash next.

“Power and timing,” he said.

Meanwhile, Taduran will be given a three-week vacation for his win by chief trainer Carl Penalosa, who had earlier predicted a seventh-round stoppage.

But the sweetest reward could come from boxing’s only eight-division champion Manny Pacquiao.

“He whispered something to me after my win,” he answered.

What was it, asked someone from the media?

“He said that he will give me $5,000 as bonus,” an elated Taduran said.

Pacquiao was among those who were impressed by the performance.

“(He was) very good,” Pacquiao exclaimed.