Charly Suarez put on a show of force aimed at notifying the super-featherweight class of his presence after scoring a sensational third-round knockout of late replacement Jorge Castañeda on Saturday in Glendale, Arizona.
It was Suarez from start to finish as the Filipino veteran boosted his unbeaten record to 18-0 with knockouts while Castañeda, a Texas native, dropped to 17-4 with 13 knockouts.
The end came at the 2:22 mark after a mini-combo highlighted by another left hook sent Castañeda down for the second time. It was at this moment when referee Chris Flores called a halt to the contest even without bothering to count.
A right-left combo had already floored Castañeda down, giving Suarez the confidence he needed to put an end to their clash at the Desert Diamond Arena.
Suarez had buckled Castañeda’s knees in the very first round and was dominant in the second canto when he scored solid shots.
The smashing victory earned Suarez the World Boxing Organization International 130-lb jewels.
But what made his latest triumph even more is his continued success as this would keep him highly ranked in the world.
Castañeda subbed in for the promising Andres Cortez, who pulled out of the Suarez showdown two weeks ago.
Handled by former Ilocos Sur governor Chavit Singson, the 36-year-old Suarez fights under the Top Rank banner.