LAS VEGAS – Saturday’s 10-bout card at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, headlined by Saul “Canelo” Alvarez taking on Edgar Berlanga, got underway with a trio of off-TV bouts that all ended in the second round.
Eddie Reynoso-trained Cuban middleweight Yoenli Feliciano Hernandez looked impressive with a hassle-free knockout of Jose Sanchez Charles. From the opening bell, Hernandez (5-0, 5 KOs) pursued Charles behind a stiff jab, while Charles backed away with uncertainty. At the end of the opener, Hernandez caught Charles (21-6-1, 12 KOs) with a right cross just as the bell rang to end the first round, which caused Charles’ legs to wobble before he staggered back to his corner.
In the second, Hernandez used slick footwork to pivot into position to land his power right hand. A short punch in close dropped Charles for an eight-count before Hernandez backed him to the ropes and uncorked a right hand that crumpled him to the canvas. Referee Thomas Taylor waved it off without a count at 1:45, and Hernandez watched anxiously until Charles eventually made it back to his feet.
In light heavyweight action, Lawrence King (17-1, 14 KOs) dropped Vaughn Williams (12-2, 8 KOs) three times in the second round of a scheduled eight, prompting referee Robert Hoyle to wave it off at 2:15 of the frame.
In the opening bout of the night, super middleweight Bek Nurmaganbet (12-0, 10 KOs) remained unbeaten with a second-round stoppage of Joshua Conley (17-7-1, 11 KOs). Time was 2:24 of the round.
Kieran Mulvaney has written, broadcast and podcasted about boxing for HBO, Showtime, ESPN and Reuters, among other outlets. He also writes regularly for National Geographic, has written several books on the Arctic and Antarctic, and is at his happiest hanging out with wild polar bears. His website is www.kieranmulvaney.com.
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