By David Finger

Fightnews is sad to report that former featherweight contender Tomas Villa of Midland, Texas died this Tuesday (April 3, 2018). Villa was reportedly involved in a car accident two miles south of Midland. According to the police report A Dodge Durango driven by Villa hit a Kenworth truck tractor on Highway 349 at 5:44 PM. Villa, who according to the police report was not wearing a seatbelt, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Villa, who originally hailed from Ojinaga, Mexico, was perhaps best remembered for his 2011 fight with Mexican bomber Johnny Gonzalez for the WBC featherweight title. Although Gonzalez stopped Villa in four rounds in what would ultimately become Villa’s final fight as a professional, it was nonetheless a proud moment for the Midland based brawler.

Villa’s career spanned just over ten years and in that time Villa emerged as arguably the geatest boxer to ever come out of the Permian Basin. Villa was a two time Texas State featherweight champion before exploding onto the national scene in 2005, when Villa won the NABA super bantamweight title by stopping then undefeated peospect David Martinez in ten rounds.

Three months after the win over Martinez Villa added the WBC Continental America’s Super Bantamweight tittle when he stopped another highly touted undefeated contender in Cuauhtemoc Vargas. In 2008 Villa would capture his first world title when he stopped Gilberto Sanchez Leon in four rounds for the IBA featherweight belt.

In 2010 Villa would take on Mikey Garcia in a fight for the USBA featherweight belt and although he came up short against Garcia he would bounce back in impressive fashion, upsetting boxing royalty just two months later with a decision victory over Salvador Sanchez. Villa finished his career with a record of 23-8-5, 14 KOs.