World-rated heavyweight Michael Hunter had too much firepower for Mike Wilson, stopping his former amateur rival in the fourth round at the Hulu Theater in Madison Square Garden in New York on Tuesday night.
In the Triller Fight Club main event that was also billed as a WBA heavyweight title eliminator, Hunter (20-1-1, 14 KOs) detonated a flush right hand that dropped Wilson like a gunshot in the fourth.
Former cruiserweight Wilson, who lost a narrow decision to Hunter in the US National super-heavyweight final in 2007, rose on unsteady feet before the bout was waved off by referee Ricky Gonzalez.
It had been one-way traffic before the ending, with Wilson (21-2, 10 KOs) repeatedly stunned by Hunter’s right hand and wobbled shortly before the fight’s conclusion in the fourth.
On the undercard, former WBO 140lbs champion Chris Algieri returned after a near 26-month hiatus to outscore southpaw Mikkel Lespierre over 10 rounds in a 144lbs catchweight bout. Scores were 100-90 (twice) and 99-91. It was Algieri’s first fight since stopping Tommy Coyle (WRTD8) at Madison Square Garden in June 2019.
Meanwhile, welterweight contender Ivan Golub (20-1, 15 KOs) dropped Eric Walker (20-4, 9 KOs) twice before claiming the vacant USBA title with a unanimous 10-round nod on the cards. Ukrainian southpaw Golub scored knockdowns in the fifth and ninth rounds. Scores were 98-90, 97-91 and 96-92.
Irish light-heavy Joe Ward (4-1, 2 KOs) outscored Louisiana’s previously unbeaten Tory Williams (5-1-1, 4 KOs) over six rounds. All three scores were 60-54.
Main image: Amanda Westcott/Triller Fight Club.