Bilbao Arena, Bilbao, Spain - For the EBU junior middleweight title, Kerman Lejarraga (34-3, 26 KOs) retained the belt with a brutal one-punch knockout of Jack Flatley (17-2-1, 4 KOs) in the ninth round.
Lejarraga came out aggressive and pushing forward with a hooks and a power jab. Flatley was being pushed back, with a high guard. However, a left hand rocked Flatley badly and sent him crashing down as his legs turned to jelly. Flatley beat the count, but there wasn't enough time left for Lejarraga to finish him off.
In the second, Lejarraga came out firing, looking to close the show as Flatley was looking to weather the storm. The jab of Lejarraga was controlling the action. Flatley was landing some counters, with the punches having no effect on the stronger man. By the third round, the face of Flatley was swelling up. Lejarraga continued to land the crisper and harder punches.
During the fourth, Flatley was doing a bit better as he was moving more often and doing good on the inside to open up a cut below the right eye of Lejarraga. Both had moments in the fifth, as Flatley's left jab was troubling Lejarraga, who continued to pump out his big shots and buzzed the British fighter near the end of the round. There was now a cut under the right eye of Flatley.
The sixth saw the pace slow down. Lejarraga was picking his punches well and using his jab, as Flatley was using his own solid jab. And a very similar scenario played out in the seventh. In the eight, a big right hand sent Flatley down for a second time. He once again beat the count, but his face was a mess with Lejarraga working him over with hard shots.
In the ninth, a huge right hand sent Flatley down and out cold. The fight was quickly waved off.
Super middleweight Damian Biacho (13-0, 4 KOs) was able to stop Guillermo Rivero (8-1) in seven rounds. Biacho dropped Rivero three times during the contest. Rivero's team deciding to end the fight after seven rounds had concluded, after their boxer was dropped for a third time and took punishment.
Jonathan Alonso (22-1, 7 KOs) pounded out an eight round unanimous decision over Mohamed El Marcouchi (28-3). All three judges saw it 80-72. Alonso rocked El Marcouchi several times during the bout, but was never able to close things out.
In a super flyweight contest, prospect Samuel Carmona (6-0, 4 KOs) blew away Luis Paduilla (13-3) in the first round with a TKO win.
Lightweight prospect Campbell Hatton (5-0, 1 KO), the son of Manchester legend Ricky Hatton, picked up the first stoppage win of his career when he ended Attila Csereklye (10-24) in two rounds. Hatton scored two knockdowns in the first round and closed the show in the second with a third knockdown.
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