By Francisco Salazar 

HOLLYWOOD —It is easy to understand Chris Van Heerden's frustration over the last couple of month or so. He was scheduled to fight Frankie Gavin on May 9, but Gavin pulled out of the fight in order to accept a fight with Kell Brook on May 30.

While boxers pulling out of fights happens in the sport, Van Heerden moved on, taking a fight on a few weeks' notice and securing a dominant win in stopping Ramon Ayala after four rounds.

The 6th annual 'Big Fighters, Big Cause' event—staged inside the Ray Dolby Theatre at the famed Hollywood and Highland—was presented by the Sugar Ray Leonard Foundation, in conjunction with B. Riley & Company.  

Proceeds from the event, along with a silent and live auction, will go towards research and awareness for a cure for Type 1 diabetes and to educate children to live healthier lives through diet and exercise.

"This is my passion and it is what I love to do," Leonard told BoxingScene.com. "This is a real-life matter that needs to be addressed. I'm proud to be associated with this every year."

After a competitive first round in the evening's headliner, the night belonged to Van Heerden. The southpaw fighter from South Africa scored repeatedly with counter right hooks and straight left hands to the head.

Ayala, who was fighting for the first time in over three years, had his moments, landing an occasional right. Van Heerden would punish Ayala with uppercuts and lefts or rights to the body.

Van Heerden pressed the action in the third and fourth rounds, putting Ayala on the defensive. While Ayala did not look hurt, the punches from Van Heerden began to slow him down.

"He was a tough Mexican," Van Heerden told Boxingscene.com after the fight. "I hit him with some hard shots and he would keep coming."

After the fourth round, a ringside physician who checked on Ayala recommended for referee Thomas Taylor to stop the fight.

Van Heerden improves to 23-1-1, 12 KOs, while Ayala falls to 23-4-1, 11 KOs.

"I got out some ring rust. I have to defend my (IBF International welterweight) title within the next 90 days. Regarding Frankie Gavin, I'd still like to fight him, but under my terms."

UNDERCARD

Heavyweight Natu Visinia scored a spectacular fourth round knockout over Joshua Clark.

Visinia (11-1, 9 KOs) would walk down the taller Clark, landing the harder and telling blows. Clark (2-3-2, 2 KOs) tried to fight from the outside, but would get repeatedly tagged to the head. In the fourth round, Visinia landed a right hand to the head, stunning Clark. Visinia followed up with another right and it looked as though Clark was out on his feet. Visinia followed up, landing a right cross that sent Clark crashing down onto the canvas. 

Referee Jack Reiss immediately waved the fight over at 2:40 of round four. After the fight, Clark was taken to a local hospital for observation.

In a four round bout featuring heavyweights making their pro debuts, George Faavae knocked out James Kirby in the first round. A barrage of punches from Faavae dropped Kirby to the canvas against the ropes. A tiring Kirby stood up, but was dropped by a right hand to the head. Referee Thomas Taylor began to administer a count, but decided to wave the fight over at 1:37.

Light heavyweights Javier Ortega and Cameron Sevilla Rivera (5-1-1, 4 KOs) fought to a four round majority decision draw. Both had their moments in the first half of the fight, but it was Ortega (1-1-1, 1 KO) who looked as though he took control of the fight in the last two rounds. He repeatedly attacked the body of Sevilla and did the better work on the inside. One judge scored the bout 39-37 in favor of Ortega, while the other two judges scored the bout 38-38.

Francisco A. Salazar has written for Boxingscene.com since September of 2012 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (CA) Star newspaper, RingTV, and Knockout Nation. He can be reached by email (santio89@yahoo.com) or on Twitter (@FSalazarBoxing).