Richard Torrez Jr. viciously knocked out Marco Antonio Canedo in the first round Saturday night.
The hard-hitting heavyweight prospect pulverized Canedo with a left-left-right combination that left him unconscious, flat on his face, just 43 seconds into their scheduled six-rounder in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Torrez dropped Canedo twice in their very brief bout and left the Mexican boxer in need of medical attention.
Canedo (4-3, 2 KOs) eventually sat up and was held out of the ring. The undefeated Torrez has knocked out all three of his opponents as a pro.
Referee Gary Ritter officially stopped the action 44 seconds into the opening round.
ESPN televised Torrez’s impressive victory as part of the Jose Pedraza-Richard Commey undercard from Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.
The 23-year-old Torrez, of Tulare, California, won a silver medal while fighting for the United States at the Summer Olympics in Tokyo a year ago.
He fought for the second time in just six weeks because his previous bout lasted only 58 seconds. Torrez knocked out Roberto Zavala Jr. (2-2-1, 2 KOs) in the first round of that bout July 15 at Pechanga Resort Casino in Temecula, California.
Prior to the brutal conclusion of their fight, a straight left hand by Torrez sent Canedo into a squatting position just 21 seconds into their fight. Though stunned, Canedo got up and tried to fend off the better, faster, stronger Torrez.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.