By Cliff Rold

If he’s as good as he looked Friday night, 25-year old Cruiserweight Eric Fields (11-0, 9 KO) might not be a cruiserweight for long.  Exhibiting blazing hand speed, furious combinations and snapping power, Fields stopped 29-year old former IBF 200 lb. titlist Kelvin Davis (24-8-2, 17 KO) in less than a minute at Mallory Square in Key West, Florida.  The bout was carried live on ESPN2.

The evening had been framed on television around the story of Davis’s return to the ring after suffering a broken back in 2007.  It was nearly on his back that Davis found himself with the first hard right hand from Fields.  That shot landed high on Davis’s temple and sent him toppling towards the mat on his right side.  Davis rose, bobbing his head and moving in the only direction his power punching pressure style is effective in: forward.

On this night, forward was the wrong direction.

Fields stepped back and used his jab, creating room for a lethal right uppercut that again sent Davis reeling towards disaster.  Fields opened up with a bevy of power shots, returning repeatedly to that right uppercut, a shot that seemed never to miss, before finishing with a final cut that sent Davis flying into the ropes, towards the mat, and into the waving arms of the referee.  It was Fields eighth first round knockout in his eleven fights.

Giving post-fight comments, Fields fought to keep from smiling too much at his own performance.  He credited a deep amateur background with the rapid progression he is making and the ability to adjust to a former world titlist.  “I put some amateur stuff on him.  I wasn’t going for the knockout; just trying to land punches and you never know what punch is gonna’ hurt a guy…When I was an amateur, I competed with the best.  I was a two-time National Golden Glove champion and if I can compete at that level, I can compete at the pro level.”

With regard to what he wants for his future and in future opponents, Fields was humbly professional.  “That’s not my job.  That’s my promoter’s job and my manager’s job.  Whatever they set up for me, that’s what I’ll take.”

Prodded further by the ESPN announcers to name a desired future opponent, Fields would state only “Anybody that wants to fight me.”

Performances like this one could make that a short list. 

They’ll make a much longer list of fans ready to tune in for more. 

Undercard Action

In the televised opener, former WBO Jr. Welterweight champion (36-6, 33 KO) of Miami, Florida made a devastating return with a fifth round stoppage of Anthony Mora (15-2, 10 KO) of Thornton, Colorado.  It was Bailey’s first start since a narrow loss to contender Herman Ngoudjo last June and his eighth win in his last nine fights.

He wasted little time in getting back to the swing of things for 2008.  Mora, whose only other loss had come via stoppage in his previous bout, struggled from bell to bell on Friday night.  Mora was dropped in round four, Bailey would finish the job with a murderous right hand at 2:30 of the fifth.   

Bailey captured the WBC Latino Light Welterweight belt.

Additional Televised Results

Welterweights: Ed Paredes (18-2, 11 KO) W TKO5 Cesar Vega (10-13, 2 KO)
Lightweights: Danie Van Staden (6-3, 4 KO) W TKO1 (3-2, 1 KO)

Cliff Rold is a member of the Ring Magazine Ratings Advisory Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America.  He can be reached at roldboxing@hotmail.com