Oscar Duarte returned to the site of his lone loss Saturday night and easily extended his winning streak.
Mexico’s Duarte defeated D’Angelo Keyes by technical knockout on the Alexis Rocha-Anthony Young undercard at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio, California. Duarte (26-1-1, 20 KOs) dropped Keyes twice before referee Jerry Cantu stopped their scheduled 10-rounder, the co-feature of a card DAZN streamed, after the seventh round on the advice of a ringside physician.
Houston’s Keyes (17-3, 11 KOs), who was knocked down during the third and seventh rounds, displayed a lot of heart, but their fight wasn’t remotely competitive. Keyes lost by technical knockout for the second time in nearly six years as a pro.
Duarte, 27, has won 11 fights in a row, all by knockout or technical knockout, since Adrian Estrella beat him by split decision in a 10-round bout in February 2019 at Fantasy Springs Resort Casino.
Keyes, 26, told DAZN’s broadcast crew before their fight that he has been homeless in recent months and desperately needed his purse from this fight.
A left hook by Duarte dropped Keyes for the second time in their fight with 14 seconds to go in the seventh round. Keyes got up quickly and made it to the bell to end the seventh round.
Duarte’s right hand turned Keyes’ head around with just under 25 seconds on the clock in the sixth round.
Duarte’s vicious assault on Keyes continued throughout the fourth and fifth rounds, when Duarte drilled him with flush shots to his head and body. A hard right hand to the side of Keyes’ head knocked him into the ropes with about 40 seconds to go in the fifth round.
Duarte spent the entire third round pounding Keyes with punishing punches to his head and body. Keyes absorbed a lot of punishment in that round, when Duarte’s chopping right hand knocked him to one knee.
Keyes got up and valiantly continued, but it seemed like it would only be a matter of time before Duarte stopped him.
Keyes suffered a cut along his right eyebrow during the second round. Keyes landed a right hand after Duarte drilled him with a left hook with just over 1:15 on the clock in the second round.
Duarte rocked Keyes with a left hook that made him hold Duarte with just under 30 seconds remaining in the first round.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.