Stoppage victory for Josh Kelly against Jose Luis Zuniga

The Sunderland 23-year-old was in imperious form and put on an eye-catching show as he destructively became the first man to stop the Mexican.

'Pretty Boy', a 2016 Rio Olympian, came out the blocks in explosive fashion and quickly landed a stunning uppercut that rocked his opponent's head back.

From then, Kelly went on the hunt and swung away with punishing hooks as Zuniga valiantly tried to cover up on the ropes, managing to survive until the bell.

There was no respite for the 28-year-old though as the fight entered its next period, the talented North East star again showing impressive footwork and hand-speed, jumping in and out of range to land some flashy and ferocious hooks.

Kelly then found a home for another searing uppercut that shook his outclassed opponent before a destructive left hand landed to the body, leading to the referee waving off the contest.

'Pretty Boy' said afterwards: "I started sharp and caught him off guard. I can only do what I can do in there. It was good to get out there in front of the Belfast crowd.

"He's a Mexican champion and had never been stopped, he was brought in to give us a hard eight rounds. He was very tough, I was hurting my hands on my head, but I got the job done."

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