Antonio ‘Tono’ Moran has finally his stride.

Following years spent as a lightweight gatekeeper, the 27-year old from Mexico City has found his calling at junior welterweight. Proof of such comes in his most recent performance, a scintillating 6th round knockout of Emanuel ‘Pinky’ Colón to cap their non-stop slugfest Friday evening at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.

A flurry of punches from Moran was capped by a left hook and right hand to send Colón to the canvas, unable to continue as the Telemundo-televised headliner was waved off at 2:29 of round six.

Colón was fighting for the first time in just more than a year, having been out since a 1st round knockout of Richard Zamora in his home region of upstate New York last October. The Buffalo-based Boricua scored three straight knockouts heading into Friday evening, but quickly found himself in a real fight. Colón seemed game for the cause, trading with Morán in center ring—a concept hardly unfamiliar to the streaking puncher who has scored 16 stoppages in 17 career wins.

This time, he found an impenetrable force.

Morán never stopped coming forward, taking Colón’s best shots and bringing back heavier artillery. The 6’0” slugger was dialed in with his uppercut, repeatedly catching Colón at close quarters and slowly breaking him down.

Momentum swung back and forth, with Colón enjoying a strong surge aided by his potent left hook. Morán was briefly shook but managed to remain upright. It proved to be Colón’s undoing, as the fight’s frenetic pace eventually took its toll on the Puerto Rican slugger.

Morán closed the show in style in round six. Colón found himself pinned against the ropes, absorbing a series of right hands upstairs. Morán finished off Colón with a right hand, left hook and right hand to send him crashing the deck. Colón was unable to pick himself off of the canvas, with the referee waving off his count and the contest.

The loss snaps a three-fight win streak for Colón–all by 1st round knockout—as he falls to 17-2-1 (16KOs).

As for Morán, there seems to be something to his frame filling out a junior welterweight uniform. He has now moved all the way past a startling knockout loss to Devin Haney last May, unbeaten in his last three starts as he improves to 26-4-1 (19KOs).

All three fights have come at junior welterweight and in this venue, beginning with a 10-round draw versus undefeated prospect Yomar Alamo last October. Morán has since scored back-to-back 6th round knockouts, the previous occasion coming just six weeks ago versus Luis Solis.

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox