LAS VEGAS – Nathaniel Tadd tried to press Khalil Coe very early in their fight Saturday.
He learned almost immediately that his strategy was a major mistake. Coe countered by hammering him to the body and head, sent Tadd to the canvas three times and stopped him early in the second round of Coe’s pro debut, a cruiserweight fight scheduled for four rounds on the Devin Haney-Jorge Linares undercard at Mandalay Bay’s Michelob Ultra Arena.
Referee Russell Mora stopped the action at 1:10 of the second round.
The 24-year-old Coe, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was a decorated amateur and a member of Team USA when he decided to turn pro. The 30-year-old Tadd (2-5, 1 KO) has lost five straight fights, each of the last two by knockout.
After flooring Tadd twice in the first round, Coe caught Tadd with a left to the body that prompted Todd to take a knee for the third time in barely four minutes of action. Mora stopped their one-sided fight as soon as Tadd took that third knee.
Coe overwhelmed Tadd with power punches and hurt him with a left to the body just before the midway mark of the first round. Tadd retreated and Coe landed a left to the body that made Tadd take a knee with 1:19 to go in the opening round.
Tadd barely beat Mora’s count, but an aggressive Coe viciously unloaded power punches and eventually a right to the body that forced Tadd to take a knee again with 23 seconds remaining in the first round.
Tadd beat Mora’s count again and the bell rang before Coe could unload on him some more.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
