By Jhonny Gonzalez

Villa Ballester, Buenos Aires, Argentina - Diego Chaves (21-0, 17 KOs) captured the WBA's interim-welterweight title with a two round stoppage of Ismael El Massoudi (36-4, 14 KOs). El Massoudi went down twice in the second, with the second knockdown prompting the referee to stop the fight.

After punishing the champion in the first round with his right cross to the chin, and his left hook to the liver, Chaves was looking to make a statement from the very start. In the second round, a right cross dropped the champion, but Chaves escaped a near disqualification when he landed another right hand on the decked fighter. After beating the count, Chaves went back to work and another right cross put the champion down for the count.

Chaves is now looking to get a shot at the full WBA champion Paulie Malignaggi.