By Keith Idec

LOS ANGELES – Robert Guerrero won his comeback bout with expected ease Saturday.

Guerrero, a former champion in four weight classes, knocked down Hungarian journeyman Adam Mate three times and stopped him in the second round on the Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury undercard at Staples Center. Referee Ray Corona stopped this scheduled eight-rounder after Mate made it back to his feet following the second knockdown of the second round.

The 35-year-old Guerrero (34-6-1, 19 KOs), of Gilroy, California, fought for the first time in 16½ months.

Guerrero understandably retired following his third-round, technical-knockout loss to Omar Figueroa Jr. in July 2017. Figueroa floored Guerrero five times, three times in the second round and twice during the third round, in what was a scheduled 10-rounder at Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Uniondale, New York.

Eventually, however, Guerrero got the urge to fight again. He announced last month that he would make his return to the ring on this card.

The first round was relatively uneventful until Guerrero landed a straight left hand to Mate’s body that sent Mate to one knee. Mate made it to his feet and the bell sounded to end the first round almost immediately thereafter.

Guerrero dropped him again with a counter, overhand left in the second round. Mate got up again, but Guerrero floored him a third time by landing a short left hand on the inside.

The game Mate got up yet again, but Corona stopped the fight at 2:25 of the second round.

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