Martin Murray marked his return to the ring with a ruthless second-round stoppage win over George Beroshvili.
The St Helens man has decided to move up in weight since his gallant defeat against Gennady Golovkin and he started the next chapter of his career in style, defeating the Georgian with a brutal body shot at the Echo Arena in Liverpool.
Fighting behind his usual high guard, Murray bullied his opponent backwards in the first round and sunk in hurtful shots to Beroshvili's ribs. The Georgian struggled to hold off the former world title challenger and was gasping for air at the bell.
Beroshvili continued to move back in the second, receiving a stiff right hand as he sought refuge by the ropes, and Murray quickly finished off his outgunned foe.
Two swift rights drew Beroshvili's hands down for a few crucial seconds and Murray unleashed a spiteful left hook under the elbow.
Dropping to his knees, Beroshvili was drained of any resistance and he barely beat the count before the referee waved it off.
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"I felt great in there, very strong and I think that Super Middleweight is going to be my good for me," said Murray.
"The Golovkin fight is in the past now, I learnt a lot from it and I’ve soaked that experience up but I’ve moved on from it and looking forward to making an impact at Super Middle.
"I will leave it to Eddie (Hearn) and Oliver Harrison to see where we go next but I can see myself in some big fights”
Promotor Eddie Hearn added: "Martin's had great fights with big names, he has a great following and he can get the big fights at Super Middleweight. I want to get him out ASAP so we'll sit down right away and plot the next fight, but it's a great start at Super Middleweight for him."