Four-weight World champion Roman ‘Chocolatito’ Gonzalez saw a welcome return to winning ways, recording a fifth round knockout victory over Moises Fuentes in the opening bout on the televised broadcast.
Gonzalez, who entered the bout on the back of two consecutive losses to Thai powerhouse Srisaket Sor Rungvisai, controlled proceedings from the opening bell, controlling the distance well against his overmatched opponent.
While undoubtedly the superior man in the ring on the night, Gonzalez looked some way short of the fighter that graced many boxing observers ‘pound-for-pound’ lists in recent years.
The Nicaraguan, who amassed a 46-0 record before coming undone against Sor Rungvisai in March 2017, was still able to show glimpses of his quality however – uncorking a thunderous right hook in the fifth round that poleaxed a bloodied and beaten Fuentes, recording his first stoppage victory in almost three years in the process.
With a potential bout against Britain’s Kal Yafai for Yafai’s WBA World super flyweight title heavily rumoured, Gonzalez will be relieved to bounce back with a victory and – for a short time at least – banish the ghosts of being brutally stopped in his last outing.
Middleweight power-hitters David Lemieux and Gary ‘Spike’ O’Sullivan locked horns in a highly-anticipated WBA World title eliminator – however, the pre-fight trash-talk was markedly more competitive than the bout itself; with Lemieux drilling O’Sullivan with his signature left-hook to record a stunning first round stoppage.
Former IBF World champion Lemieux, who was embarrassed in his hometown against WBO champion Billy Joe Saunders in December, settled quickly into proceedings, unloading a series of power shots from the opening bell that immediately drew a reaction from O’Sullivan.
The Canadian lived up to his pre-fight proclamations, delivering a savage left hook over a lazy jab from O’Sullivan, sending the Irishman crumpling to the canvas. With the moustachioed ‘Spike’ on the proverbial queer street, referee Russell Mora waved the bout off, handing Lemieux a sensational stoppage win.
Lemieux will now seek to challenge for the WBA World title – contested, of course, by the main event combatants in champion Gennady Golovkin and Mexican superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
WBO World super welterweight champion Jaime Munguia stretched his unbeaten record to 31 with a third round blitz of the out-matched Brandon Cook.
Buoyed by boxing on Mexican Independence Day weekend, the 21-year-old champion showcased his raw punching power, unloading a series of clubbing blows to the head and body of Cook and bullying his man into submission.
The precocious Munguia displayed some of the flaws that flagged up in his recent title defence against Britain’s Liam Smith, but such was the level of opposition, the Mexican prodigy was able to avoid punishment for his periodic sloppiness.
After rocking Cook against the ropes with a volley of unanswered hooks to the mid-section, Munguia was rewarded for his pressure with a knockdown in the third round. Sensing the opportunity to add another knockout to his considerable collection, the Mexican heir-apparent stepped on the gas, delivering a succession of unanswered blows that saw referee Tony Weekes step in to save the brave Cook from further punishment.
With an eye on the main event for a potential mega-fight, Munguia admitted in his post-fight interview that he has a fair bit of development to undergo. However, with a propensity for power-punches and a seek-and-destroy attitude, his stock will continue to rise as he continues to build a fan-base with his all-action style.
Report by: Rob Tebbutt
Follow Rob on Twitter at: @RobTebbutt
Photos: Ed Mulholland