LAS VEGAS – Jackson Murray passed the first legitimate test of his developing professional career Thursday afternoon.

The 6-foot-7, 230-pound Australian southpaw defeated previously unbeaten Steven Torres by unanimous decision in their six-round heavyweight fight on the Shakur Stevenson-Edwin De Los Santos undercard at T-Mobile Arena. Judges Eric Cheek, David Hudson and Dave Moretti all scored their competitive contest a shutout for Murray, who won 60-53 on each of their cards.

Murray (6-0, 4 KOs), of Calderwood, Australia, was credited with a questionable knockdown during the third round. He otherwise landed the flusher punches with more regularity, but Torres (6-1-1, 6 KOs) caught him with several stinging shots that got Murray’s attention.

Murray fought overmatched opponents prior to testing himself against Torres, a 6-foot-7, 240¾-pound puncher from Reading, Pennsylvania.

The athletic Murray, who is trained by retired light heavyweight contender Derrick Harmon, remained in control throughout a sixth and final round that he won convincingly.

Murray drilled Torres with a straight left when there were just under 40 seconds to go in the fifth round. Murray mostly outboxed Torres in that round, but he looked fatigued and held toward the end of it.

A straight left by Murray knocked Torres into the ropes with less than 10 seconds on the clock in the fourth round.

Torres’ right hand made Murray stumble with just under a minute on the clock in the third round. Less than 15 seconds later, Murray scored a knockdown, although it appeared that his right hand landed behind Torres’ head.

A right hook by Murray when Torres was backed against the ropes landed a little less than 40 seconds into the third round.

Murray made Torres miss with most of his punches during the second round. A straight left by Murray landed flush with about 1:40 to go in the second round.

Murray’s straight left snapped back Torres’ head with just under 10 seconds to go in the first round.

In the previous fight Thursday, Adullah Mason continued to display the type of promise that have convinced his handlers that the 19-year-old lightweight prospect is a future lightweight champion.

Mason, a razor-sharp southpaw from Cleveland, dropped Jose Cardenas twice and knocked him out in the second round. The fast, powerful Abdullah dropped Cardenas once apiece in the first and second rounds.

Referee Tony Weeks stopped their fight at 1:55 of the second round, as soon as Cardenas went down for the second time.

Mason, who is promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., improved to 11-0 and recorded his ninth knockout. Cardenas (7-2, 5 KOs, 1 NC), of Laredo, Texas, lost by knockout for the first time in five years as a pro.

Adullah drilled Cardenas with a straight left hand that knocked him flat on his back with about 1:10 to go in the second round. Weeks waved an end to the fight almost immediately.

A straight left by Mason previously sent Cardenas to the seat of his trunks with just over 1:15 to go in the opening round.

Earlier Thursday, Hugo Micallef stopped Sergio Odabai after four one-sided rounds in a welterweight bout scheduled for six rounds.

Monte Carlo’s Micallef (9-0, 2 KOs) dominated the action until referee Raul Caiz Jr. stopped their fight following the fourth round. Odabai (6-2-1, 3 KOs), of Vienna, Austria, lost by technical knockout for the second time in nine professional fights.

Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.