By Jake Donovan
Sergio 'Yeyo' Thompson rebounded from an earlier title fight loss, twice dropping Cesar Chavez en route to a 1st round knockout Saturday evening in Quintana Roo, Mexico.
The fight was designed to make Thompson look spectacular, and the Mexican knockout artist didn't at all disappoint. Chavez was the perfect foil for a slumpbuster, boasting minimal knockout power and having been stopped in each of his four previous losses.
Thompson made it five, going on the attack early in the fight. Chavez was quick to hit the deck, reacting poorly seemingly the moment he felt his opponent's power.
The night wouldn't get any better for the journeyman. Fortunately for him, it wouldn't last much longer. A right hand left him shook, with a follow-up chin shot sending him down and draped across the bottom rope. The referee issued a count and gave Chavez every chance to continue, but was forced to waive off the contest as he rose to unsteady legs.
The official time was 2:07 of round one. Thompson advances to 28-3 (26KO) with the win, which comes on the heels of a discouraging points loss to Takashi Miura in their lightweight title fight earlier this year.
Not to be outdone, welterweight prospect Frankie Gomez shined in a 1st round knockout of his own. The 21-year old needed less than two minutes to dispact Prince Doku Jr. in their Fox Deportes-televised chief support.
Doku Jr. was flown in from Ghana to fight for the first time in more than year. His debut on this side of the globe wasn't one for the time capsule. Gomez went on the attack but just as he began to uncork, a combination had his opponent strangely imbalanced before collapsing to the canvas.
That the bout even exceeded the halfway point of the opening round was entirely due to the strange sequence following the knockdown.
The referee ordered Gomez to a neutral corner before beginning his count, then again as the super lightweight prospect began to drift in anticipation of a victory celebration. A lengthy pause followed the mandatory eight count, as it was uncertain whether time was called or if the referee was just thoroughly examining Doku Jr.
An official signal finally came about that the fight was over, with nearly 30 seconds having elapsed between the final punch and bout's end. The official time was 1:56 of round one.
Gomez improves to 15-0 (11KO) with the effortless win, despite giving away seven pounds at the scales. The super lightweight prospect came in at 140 lb. during Friday's weigh-in, while Doku - now 18-4 - was permitted to fight despite coming in a full division heavier at 147 lb.
While perfect as a pro, Gomez still struggles with ring activity. Two months shy of his 22nd birthday, there is still plenty of time for the East Los Angeles product to grow into the can't miss future star label with which he was assigned when first turning pro in 2010.
A run-in with the law early in 2012 has momentarily taken its toll on Gomez' development. Just four fights have come in the past two years, with Saturday's bout - his first in Mexico and outside of the U.S. - coming ten months following a lopsided win over Lanard Lane.
Both bouts aired live on Fox Deportes in the United States and on Televisa in Mexico.
Jake Donovan is the Managing Editor of Boxingscene.com, as well as a member of the Transnational Boxing Ratings Board, Yahoo Boxing Ratings Panel and the Boxing Writers Association of America. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox