Australian heavyweight Justis Huni impressed back in his home country by stopping his compatriot Troy Pilcher in two rounds.

The 36-year-old Pilcher produced a spirited effort but was unable to resist Huni’s power when he started to land. Huni, who had previously been criticised for his punching power, fought with greater aggression after successive fights in first Mexico and then Saudi Arabia, and he targeted Pilcher’s body before finishing to the head.

Pilcher took the fight to Huni from the opening bell, pushing the 25-year-old prospect towards the ropes. Huni seemed to struggle to keep his bigger opponent off, and at first attempted to counter while on the back foot. The early pressure from Pilcher didn’t last, however, and Huni finished the opening round by landing with authority to the body.

When Pilcher continued his attempts to pressure Huni early in the second round at Brisbane’s Fortitude Music Hall, Huni refused to sit on the ropes. He was instead aggressive, and whipped in spiteful body shots that started to break Pilcher down. Towards the end of the second round Huni switched his attack to the head and hurt Pilcher sufficiently to force the referee Paul Tapley to call a halt to the contest with 40 seconds remaining of round two.

Clay Waterman had by then defeated Lucas Miller to win the Australian light heavyweight title via three scores of 97-91. Waterman dropped Miller in rounds two and six, but each time the then-defending champion recovered admirably.

At super middleweight Xavier Fletcher dismantled Suitama Manuele, forcing Tapley’s intervention after 36 seconds of round three.

The heavyweight Uila Mau’u, from New Zealand, continued his winning start to life as a professional by recording his seventh consecutive stoppage – against Veni Mafi, after one minute and 58 seconds of round two.

Finally, Max McIntyre stopped the tough Micah Rivetti after one minute and 39 seconds of the fourth round of their super-middleweight contest.