Frank Martin wasn’t content to out-box Jerry Perez on Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
The lightweight prospect dropped Perez with a left hook in the seventh round and finished him later in that round. Referee Jerry Cantu stopped their scheduled 10-round fight with just one second remaining in that seventh round.
The 26-year-old Martin maintained his unblemished record (13-0, 10 KOs) in this battle of unbeaten 135-pound prospects, the main event of FS1’s six-fight telecast from Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall. The 28-year-old Perez (13-1, 10 KOs), of Oak Hills, California, was down on the scorecards entering the seventh round, but Martin hadn’t hurt him until landing that fight-changing punch.
Martin worked well off his jab for most of the seventh round, until the southpaw from Indianapolis uncorked a sweeping left hook that dropped Perez flat on his back with 45 seconds to go in that round. Perez barely beat Cantu’s count.
Perez went down again with 15 seconds remaining in the seventh round, but Martin flung him to the canvas. Martin pounced on Perez once the action resumed and Cantu stepped between them to stop the fight at 2:59 of the seventh round.
Another straight left by Martin made Perez spin around with 1:45 remaining in the sixth round. Perez connected with a looping left hand later in the sixth round.
Martin landed a straight left with just under two minutes left in the fifth round. Perez was the aggressor during the fifth round, though he didn’t land many flush punches in that round against an elusive Martin.
Martin’s straight left stopped Perez in his tracks 40 seconds into the fourth round. Another straight left by Martin knocked Perez into the ropes with 1:20 to go in the fourth.
Perez pressured Martin and landed a left hook that got Martin’s attention with 30 seconds to go in the fourth round.
Perez hit Martin with two lefts to the body with just under 50 seconds left in the third round. Martin landed a straight left just before the third round ended.
Earlier in the third, Martin landed a left uppercut and then spun away from a corner, out of Perez’s punching range.
Martin’s straight left connected as they neared the halfway point of the second round. Martin clipped Perez with a short, right hook with about 30 seconds to go in the second round.
Perez’s right hand knocked Martin backward just before the midway mark of the first round. Perez snuck in another right hand just before the bell rang to end the opening round.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
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