NEWARK – Joey Spencer picked apart Limberth Ponce mostly with once punch at a time for four-plus rounds Saturday night.
Finally, Spencer let his hands go in combination during the fifth round and got the knockout he sought in an eight-round middleweight match FOX televised from Prudential Center.
Spencer wobbled Ponce with a left hook before hurting him with another right hand. He then rocked Ponce with a right cross that knocked Ponce awkwardly to the canvas and abruptly ended their fight.
Referee Eric Dali immediately stopped the action once Ponce went down, with his right leg bent in a vulnerable position. The official time of the stoppage was 1:24 of the fifth round.
The 21-year-old Spencer, of Linden, Michigan, improved to 14-0 and recorded his 10th knockout. The 30-year-old Ponce (18-5, 11 KOs), of Rock Island, Illinois, lost by knockout for the first time in his nine-year, 23-fight career.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
