By Mark Vester
In a must-win battle of welterweight contenders, Kermit "The Killer" Cintron (26-1, 24KOs) pounded his was to a 10th round TKO over the always tough David Estrada (18-3, 9KOs) to become the number 2 ranked welterweight on the IBF ladder.
The bout started at a very quick pace as Estrada tried to test the heart of Cintron early. The two men would battle back and forth for the next couple of rounds, both had their moments. In the 6th round, a Cintron right hand stunned Estrada badly, but he was able to hold on to the bell. During the 7th, Estrada stunned Cintron with a left and began landed heavy shots to stand his ground.
In the 10th, two Cintron right hands put Estrada down and almost out. He was able to beat the count, but a Cintron barrage forced the referee to stop the contest. Estrada, who holds some decent wins and went the distance with Shane Molsey in 2005, is stopped for the first time in his career.
The win could be larger for Cintron than most people realize. By earning the number 2 ranking from the IBF with the win over Estrada, he places himself on pace towards a possible title shot in his next fight.
Earlier this week, the IBF ordered a rematch between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Zab Judah. Mayweather was given 5 days to respond, but most insiders expect him to vacate the title in order to face Antonio Margarito in a very anticipated July pay-per-view.
Once the belt is vacated, the IBF will have two choices, they could either hand the belt back to Judah or force the two top contenders to collide - which are Zab Judah, who is rated number 1 and Kermit Cintron, who is now ranked at number 2. Cintron, one of the largest welterweights in the division, would hold a considerable size and strength advantage over the much smaller Judah. On the other hand, Judah's speed and quick movements could easily nullify Cintron's size.