DALLAS - From The Bomb Factory in Dallas, rising star Errol "The Truth" Spence Jr. (19-0, 16 KOs) put on a show for his hometown crowd as he stopped Alejandro Barrera (26-3, 17 KOs) in the fifth-round of their welterweight clash.

 

Spence Jr. fought cautiously in the first round, feeling out his opponent who came in looking to use his awkward style to frustrate the undefeated hometown fighter. While Barrera was able to land with the uppercut early on, Spence Jr. adjusted and began to bloody Barrera with a series of left hands in round two.

 

Barrera continued to hang tough through the third and fourth rounds, but in round five Spence came out with a renewed interest in the body attack. He sent Barrera to the canvas with a barrage to the body and followed it up shortly after with another assault on the body before referee Laurence Cole stopped te fight 1:46 into round five. Barrera was taken to Baylor Medical Hospital after the fight.

 

"The strategy was to be patient and to pick my spots. He was more awkward than I thought he would be. I rushed it a little bit but once I got myself composed I picked my spots and listened to my coach, I could come forward and stop him," Spence said.

 

"The body work was really important. That's what we train for in the gym, work the body then go to the head. In the first round I kind of got away from it but then I went back to it and was able to stop him.

 

"There were definitely some nerves fighting in front of my hometown fans. It took me the first couple of rounds to get over that. Then I just started doing what I usually do and it worked out.

 

"I want top 10 welterweights. My goal is to become a world champion. If I have to go to England to fight Kell Brook, I'm willing to do that."