Clay Collard scores three knockdowns, stops Lorawnt Nelson in two
Middleweight Clay Collard dropped Lorawnt Nelson three times en route to a second round knockout victory Tuesday night at the MGM Grand Conference Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Collard (8-2-3, 3 knockouts), who resides in Cache Valley, Utah, has won his last fours bouts, all of which have taken place in 2020.
The 27-year-old last fought on June 18, defeating previously-unbeaten David Kaminsky by split-decision over six rounds.
Midway through the opening round, Collard scored a knockdown by landing a straight right hand to Nelson’s head. Nelson beat the count but began to take significant punishment as Collard repeatedly land left-right combinations to the head.
About a minute into round 2, Collard dropped Nelson with another right hand to the head. Nelson beat the count, but found himself again on the canvas from a barrage of punches from Collard. Nelson tried to fight back on shaky legs, but Collard continued to batter him, forcing referee Celestino Ruiz to stop the fight at 1:57.
“I showed my boxing skills in there tonight,” said Collard after the fight. “I’m unorthodox, but I get the job done.”
“This whole ‘A-side’ and ‘B-side’ thing doesn’t matter to me. I’m a fighter. I’ll fight anyone.”
Nelson, who is originally from Pietermaritzburg, South Africa and now resides in Arvada, Colorado, drops to 5-4, 4 KOs.
Featherweight Ruben Cervera dropped veteran Clay Burns once en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Scores were 59-54, 59-54, and 58-56 for Cervera, who goes to 12-2 1 NC, 10 KOs.
Cervera dropped Burns with a left hook to the head in the opening moments of the first round. Despite the knockdown, Burns (9-9-2, 4 KOs) was game during the middle rounds and was at his best initiating exchanges in round 4, but Cervera was the more-effective fighter during the last two round of the fight.
Burns, who resides in Fort Worth, Texas, falls to 9-9-2, 4 KOs.
Francisco A. Salazar has written for The Ring since October of 2013 and has covered boxing in Southern California and abroad since 2000. Francisco also covers boxing for the Ventura County (Calif.) Star newspaper. He can be reached by email at santio89@yahoo.com or on Twitter at FSalazarBoxing
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