Janibek Alimkhanuly viciously knocked out Gonzalo Coria on Friday night.
A devastating right-left combination by Alimkhanuly knocked Coria to the canvas, face down, late in the second round of their scheduled 10-round middleweight match at MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas. A battered, bloodied Coria couldn’t continue.
Referee Celestino Ruiz waved an end to an encounter ESPN televised with one second to go in the second round.
Kazakhstan’s Alimkhanuly improved 9-0 and produced his fifth knockout. Argentina’s Coria (16-4, 6 KOs) lost by knockout for the first time in 20 professional fights.
A left hand by Alimkhanuly backed Coria into the ropes with 42 seconds to go in the second round. Alimkhanuly staggered Coria with another left hand with 21 seconds remaining in that second round.
Alimkhanuly finished off with a right-left combination that left Coria face down, beneath a bottom rope. Ruiz counted to six before he determined Coria couldn’t continue.
Alimkhanuly knocked Coria to the canvas with a counter left hand when there was exactly one minute to go in the first round. Coria, who was attempting a left hand of his own, went down to one knee and popped up to his feet quickly to answer Ruiz’s count.
Alimkhanuly couldn’t finish him off in that round, but he didn’t need another full round to knock him out.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
