LAS VEGAS – Rolando Romero made quick work of Juan Carlos Cordones on Friday night.

The 24-year-old Romero, a highly touted junior welterweight prospect promoted by Floyd Mayweather Jr., knocked down Cordones twice and scored a first-round technical knockout. Referee Robert Byrd stopped their scheduled six-rounder 2:14 into it, once the overwhelmed Cordones couldn’t get up from the second knockdown.

Romero improved to 10-0 and produced his ninth knockout in the opening bout of Showtime’s four-bout “ShoBox: The New Generation” broadcast from Sam’s Town Hotel & Gambling Hall.

The Dominican Republic’s Cordones (14-2, 9 KOs) lost by knockout for the second time in 2½ months. Danielito Zorrilla stopped him in the third round of his last fight, August 17 in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

On Friday night, Romero landed a left hook that spun Cordones around and sent him to one knee about 1:15 into the fight. A straight right hand by Romero dumped Cordones to the seat of his trunks with about a minute remaining in the opening round.

Cordones tried to get up, but Byrd stopped the fight as he struggled to use the ropes to pull himself up.

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