LOS ANGELES – After a while, Ray Corona simply had seen enough.

Even though Travis Gambardella was still standing, the veteran stepped in to stop his one-sided middleweight fight against Joey Spencer in the third round Saturday night at Staples Center. Corona called a halt to the action after Spencer landed a flush left hook to Gambardella’s jaw, 53 seconds into the third round.

The 19-year-old Spencer (9-0, 7 KOs), of Linden, Michigan, knocked down Gambardella twice with body shots in the first round. The previously unbeaten Gambardella protested the stoppage, but Spencer appeared well on his way to an easy victory before Corona stopped this fight on the Errol Spence Jr.-Shawn Porter undercard.

Spencer’s knockout of Gambardella opened FS1’s 90-minute broadcast, which preceded the start of FOX Sports’ four-fight pay-per-view show.

Spencer’s previous two fights each went the six-round distance. He told FOX’s Heidi Androl following this victory that he expected Gambardella, of Revere, Massachusetts, to be the toughest opponent of his brief career.

Gambardella (5-1-2, 2 KOs), still hurting from the body blows he absorbed during the first round, got off to a tough start in the second round. Spencer hurt him with an overhand right to his head, before unloading several left more left hooks to Gambardella’s body.

Gambardella withstood that onslaught and snuck in his own left hook to the head that made Spencer hold him briefly.

A left hook to the body sent Gambardella to the canvas with about 45 seconds to go in the first round. A little less than 30 seconds later, another left hook to the body made Gambardella take another knee.

He again answered Corona’s count and made it to the end of the first round.

Spencer’s power affected Gambardella very early in their bout, as he knocked Gambardella off balance with a left hook up top early in the first round.

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