Heavyweight Richard Torrez moved to 8-0 with an unusual knockout to keep his one-hundred percent streak alive.
The US Olympic silver medalist overcame his toughest test by defeating veteran Curtis Harper via eighth-round TKO.
Harper gradually saw his hair tie loosen in the eighth before Torrez knocked it off, and the referee stepped in.
Southpaw Torrez, 24, was aggressive from the start, but Harper took his best shots.
Undefeated heavyweight Richard Torrez
Despite a cut above his left eye, Torrez upped his pace in the final round. He retained his perfect KO ratio with a flurry that forced the referee to end the fight at 2:03 of the final round.
In his post-fight interview, Torrez said: “I knew I needed the rounds. Curtis Harper was a tough and game opponent. This is an experience that will only help me as I progress.
“When I saw his mouthpiece fly out [and hair ties fly off], I knew the knockout was coming. I’m happy I got the rounds in and a knockout.”
¡TRABAJÓ DE MÁS RICHARD TORREZ!
¡En el último round logró noquear para seguir con su marca perfecta de 8 victorias y 8 KO!#RamirezEspinoza pic.twitter.com/5dSY7d88kR
— Izquierdazo Boxeo (@IzquierdazoBox) December 10, 2023
Further results on the Robesiy Ramirez vs Rafael Espinoza undercard saw featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington deliver a second-round knockout.
The 9-0 star went up against former world title challenger Jason Sanchez. Early in the second round, Carrington landed a lead left hook that hurt Sanchez.
He followed up with a series of punches that eventually dropped him.
Though Sanchez returned to his feet, Carrington continued his assault, landing another devastating left hook that prompted referee Luis Pabon to end the contest, marking Sanchez’s first stoppage defeat as a pro.
Carrington said: “This was a statement to the rest of the featherweight division. I want all the smoke. It doesn’t matter who it is.”
Super welterweights Jahi Tucker and Francisco Daniel Veron battled to an eight-round majority draw.
Eager to rebound from his first pro defeat, Tucker faced a tough challenge against the Argentine slugger. He frequently engaged him in a high-paced fight.
In the end, scores read 77-75 for Tucker and 76-76 twice.
Olympian
Dominican Olympian Rohan Polanco scored a sixth-round TKO win against Keith Hunter at super lightweight.
Hunter had a clear height and reach advantage, but Polanco could easily walk him down and connect with power shots.
Polanco pressed the attack in the sixth, forcing the referee to intervene at 2:56 of the sixth.
US Olympian Tiger Johnson, also fighting at 140, tallied a split decision victory against Mexico’s Jimmer Espinosa after eight rounds of action.
Johnson was quicker and sharper, though Espinosa had his moments, including an overhand right in the seventh round that stunned Johnson.
Scores were 77-75 to Espinosa and 79-73, 78-74 to Johnson.
Another portion of heavyweight action saw undefeated Polish prospect Damian “Polish Hussar” Knyba notched an eight-round unanimous decision win against Michael Coffie.
Furthermore, Knyba, a 6-foot-7-inch behemoth with an 86-inch reach, controlled the contest with crisp, long-range punches. He won wide on all three cards.
