Terry Flanagan claimed the vacant WBO lightweight on Saturday night on a technical decision after American Jose Zepeda succumbed to a shoulder injury in the second round of their fight at Manchester's velodrome.
Mancunian southpaw Flanagan, 26, who won the British lightweight title with a win against Martin Gethin last July, enjoyed home-town advantage and looked to be beginning to dominate after an even first round.
Flanagan caught Zepeda with a nasty left hook to the body in the second before an untimely locking of arms left the Californian in agony.
The fight was called off moments later with Flanagan awarded the TKO and early indications seem to be that Zepeda has suffered a bad shoulder dislocation.
Flanagan expressed confidence that he would have won the bout regardless and immediately offered Zepeda a rematch to prove his superiority.
"He hit me but I didn't feel anything," Flanagan told Boxing Scene. "I must be numb in the head.
"I want the rematch. I want to prove I'm the better boxer. I want to fight and beat him again without the shoulder injury."