Carlos Canizales turned his WBC Silver title into championship gold on home soil in Caracas, but did things the hard way during an eagerly-awaited Panya Pradabsri rematch to kickstart August as a newly-minted two-time world junior flyweight champion.

Eight months following their closely-fought first bout in Bangkok, Thailand which warranted an immediate rematch after many felt Canizales did enough to win - but didn't get the decision - Pradabsri entered the lion's den here seeking a definitive ending to their story.

Pradabsri (44-3, 27 KOs) weathered a storm of bruising pressure in rounds one and three as the crowd noise swelled in support of their hometown hero, Canizales (28-3-1, 20 KOs) catching him clean with straight shots and walking him down to bank the early rounds.

The younger man swung for the fences and wasn't afraid to let his hands go, Pradabsri trying to catch him in-between punches but clearly second best.

Body work and counters worked well, though Canizales' combination punching forced him to take a step back and be more deliberate with his entries at close-range. Twice within a minute, the pair clashed heads and Pradabsri was briefly assessed by the ringside doctor, thankfully no fight-altering cut or blood had appeared as their firefight soon resumed.

Both landed haymakers to finish the third, though Pradabsri landed a punch-perfect overhand right that sent Canizales into the ropes less than 20 seconds into round four.

He attempted to follow-up with more punches as Canizales was suddenly in survival mode, though Panamanian referee Abdiel Barragan stepped in to separate them and began a mandatory standing eight-count. If you thought that sequence would be enough to deter the challenger from a gung-ho style, think again. In the next round, it was all over.

They traded power punches in the pocket, Pradabsri returning to work downstairs during another fast-paced stanza before the 34-year-old cruelly found himself in a heap on the canvas and unable to beat the referee's count.

Canizales pressed forward and had disguised a left hook to the body during a flurry, the defending champion against the ropes and within seconds, Venezuela's El Poliedro were wildly celebrating a dramatic world championship victory for one of their own.