By Ryan Burton

LAS VEGAS, NV. – Undefeated Top-Five contenders ÓSCAR VALDEZ (18-0, 15 KOs) from Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, and  JESSE "Hard Work" HART (18-0, 15 KOs), from Philadelphia, PA., turned in knockout performances Friday night at The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Valdez, world-rated No. 2 in the featherweight division by the World Boxing Organization (WBO), stopped one-time world title challenger CHRIS "The Hitman" AVALOS (26-4, 19 KOs), from Lancaster, Calif., in the fifth round.  Avalos was world-rated No. 9 by the International Boxing Federation (IBF) going into the fight.   Hart, world-rated No. 3 by the WBO as a super middleweight, retained his NABO and USBA super middleweight titles by serving up a ninth-round knockout victory of his own at the expense of AARON PRYOR JR. (19-9-1, 12 KOs), from Cincinnati. 

Both fights were televised live on "The MetroPCS Friday Night Knockout on truTV."  The live boxing series is presented by truTV and Top Rank®, and produced in association with HBO Sports®.  Find truTV on your TV: