Miguel Berchelt (37-1, 32 KOs) dominated Jason Sosa (23-4-4, 16 KOs) by fourth-round TKO to retain his WBC junior lightweight title Saturday night at the Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
The fight was stopped at 2 minutes, 56 seconds when Sosa's corner threw in the towel. It was a dominant showing from Berchelt, whose activity and vast array of punches overwhelmed Sosa.
Sosa gamely tried to hang in there but hit the canvas in the second round and again in the fourth.
As he was attempting to survive the round, his corner asked that the fight be halted.
In between, Sosa was battered and beaten by the all-out assault of Berchelt, who not only punches in volume, but with variety. The defending champion throws long, snapping right hands and whipping left hooks, and Berchelt mixes up his attack to the body and ahead seamlessly.
"It was a great performance. I want to congratulate Jason. He came to put on a great fight, and I have a lot of love for him,'' said the 27-year-old Berchelt, who is clearly targeting one opponent for 2020 -- former WBO featherweight champion Oscar Valdez, who is ranked No. 1 by the WBC and faces Andres Gutierrez on Nov. 30.
"If he wants this belt, come and get it," said Berchelt, who again stated his case as the best 130-pounder on the planet.
Molina blitzes Okada in one round
Junior welterweight Javier Molina (21-2, 9 KOs) scored a surprising first-round stoppage of Hiroki Okada (19-2, 13 KOs) in the co-main event.
What was thought to be a competitive matchup coming in instead became an early blowout. After Okada hit the canvas twice early in the opening rounds, referee Raul Caiz made the decision to wave off the fight.
There was no feel-out process in this contest. Molina landed a sharp counter right hand on Okada in the opening stages of this bout, which stunned the Japanese boxer. A left hook followed by a right cross badly hurt Okada and floored him again.
As he rose to his feet, Okada was quickly backed up on the ropes near the neutral corner and struck with a barrage of punches. A huge right hand sent him down for the second time in the opening round.
Caiz wasted no time in ending the fight at 1:05 of the first.
"I caught him early. When I had him hurt, I jumped on him," Molina said. "Whoever's next, we want to go for a world title. I showed everyone what I'm made of. This was my moment."
Saucedo dominates Salka in return
Back in the ring for the first time in almost a year, Alex Saucedo (29-1, 19 KOs) dispatched Rod Salka in one round with a left hook to the body.
Saucedo was fighting for the first time since November 2018 in his hometown of Oklahoma City, when he was stopped by Maurice Hooker in seven rounds. Saucedo was attempting to win the WBO junior welterweight title but instead suffered his first career loss.
Coming into Saturday's bout, Saucedo had a new trainer in Pedro Neme, who replaced Abel Sanchez. Though Saucedo wanted to go a few rounds, he was pleased with the results.
"It was great to be back," said Saucedo. "I wanted to get some rounds in, but the knockout came, so it is what it is. I hope to be back in the ring very soon."