After a 10 month layoff, Eimantas Stanionis showed no evidence of ring rust in the welterweight’s 9th round TKO victory over Justin DeLoach. The 2016 Lithuanian Olympian, Stanionis, 26, had originally hurt DeLoach with a left hook to the head late in the 7th that wobbled DeLoach, but was able to clinch after taking numerous clean shots. Then in the 9th, Stanionis recorded the first knockdown after a 3 punch combination that ended with a left hook to the body. The second knockdown occurred when DeLoach was trying to escape an onslaught and was caught with a looping left hook to the head. After getting up again, DeLoach was hit by a barrage of punches and attempted to reach and clinch to survive the round, but he was still getting hit until referee Ray Corona called the fight with 7 seconds left in the 9th. Stanionis improved his record to 11-0, 8 by way of knockout. DeLoach, 26 falls to 19-5.
On the undercard, in his first fight back after sustaining a torn Achilles’ tendon, over a year ago, junior middleweight Chordale Booker scored a close split decision victory over Sanny Duversonne. Booker, 29 started the fight well but seemed to tire a bit in the middle stages of the 8 round bout, and Duversonne, 30 took advantage and applied pressure. One judge had it 77-75 for Duversonne and the other two scored it 77-75 for Booker. TVSports scored the bout 76-76. Booker remains undefeated at 16-0 (7 KO) and Duversonne goes to 11-2-2. The card also featured the return of Kent Cruz after a 19-month layoff. Cruz (16-0, 10 KO) dominated Erik Humberto Castillo (9-3, 3 KO) to 2nd round TKO when the latter retired on his stool.
