PHILADELPHIA – Julian Rodriguez successfully continued his comeback Friday night from nearly a two-year layoff.

The unbeaten junior welterweight prospect won his second fight in three months by knocking out Leonardo Doronio in the sixth round. Their fight was part of the Oleksandr Gvozdyk-Artur Beterbiev undercard at Temple University’s Liacouras Center.

While one-sided, this appearance at least was more challenging for Rodriguez than his quick knockout of Colombian veteran Hevinson Herrera on July 13 in Newark, New Jersey. Rodriguez needed just 59 seconds to put away Herrera in their scheduled six-rounder at Prudential Center.

Doronio, however, displayed plenty of toughness in absorbing Rodriguez’s left hooks and right hands for much of their bout.

In the sixth and final round, though, Rodriguez unloaded a left hook that dropped Doronio flat on his back. The staggered Filipino veteran got up, but referee Benjy Esteves immediately determined Doronio shouldn’t continue.

Esteves halted the action at 2:29 of the sixth round.

The 24-year-old Rodriguez, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, improved to 18-0 and produced his 12th knockout. The 30-year-old Doronio dropped to 17-17-3 and lost by knockout or technical knockout for the fifth time in his 13-year pro career.

“I just kept picking him apart,” Rodriguez said, “and I waited for the right time.”

Rodriguez, who was out of action for nearly two years due largely to shoulder surgery, also said he’ll get in one more bout before the end of 2019. He’ll box an undetermined opponent December 14 on the Terence Crawford-Egidijus Kavaliauskas undercard at Madison Square Garden.

Before finishing Doronio with that flush left hook, Rodriguez followed a left hook to the body with a right uppercut that snapped back Doronio’s head earlier in the sixth round.

Rodriguez rocked Doronio with a left hook in the middle of the fourth round. That shot buckled Doronio’s knees, but he made it to the end of the round.

An aggressive Rodriguez opened up on Doronio at the start of the third round. He landed a left hook, a right hand and another left hook that backed up Doronio, but Doronio withstood Rodriguez’s attack.

Rodriguez drilled Doronio with right hands and left hooks in the first two rounds. Doronio took those shots well, though, and countered Rodriguez several times. 

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.