Sunday 6 August 2017 08:41, UK
Vasyl Lomachenko retained his WBO super-featherweight title with a seventh-round stoppage of Miguel Marriaga in Los Angeles.
Lomachenko (9-1-KO7) had few problems against underdog Marriaga (25-3-KO21) and knocked him down twice before the Colombian fighter's corner stepped in saved their man from any more punishment.
The Ukrainian, a two-time Olympic gold medallist during a glittering amateur career that saw him win 396 of 397 bouts, has set his sights on professional boxing's pound-for-pound crown after winning a world title in only his third fight.
He was in control from the early exchanges and had Marriaga down in the third round before motioning the Colombian to come and fight.
To his credit, Marriaga did and caught Lomachenko in the fourth with a shot which left a bruise on his face - Lomachenko was also cut above his left eye after an accidental clash of heads.
But he was never in any danger and continued to catch Marriaga from all angles, putting his opponent down again the seventh, which Marriaga just managed to make it to the end of.
However, Marriaga's team had seen enough and withdrew their fighter between rounds, leaving Lomachenko to celebrate and ponder his next opponent, possibly Guillermo Rigondeaux.
He said: "I think there are a few guys. There's Rigondeaux if he answers Dino's call. There's [Orlando] Salido (who defeated Lomachenko in his second pro fight). And there's [Miguel] Berchelt, who has a world title.
"For me it doesn't matter. I will fight anybody. I want to fight and I want to unify titles. [If I fight] Rigondeaux I think it looks the same as this.
"It is not my job [to find opponents]. My job is to work my best boxing in the ring."
