At the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, 21-year-old junior middleweight contender Vito Mielnicki Jr. (17-1, 12 KOs) wiped out Salim Larbi (22-13-3, 8 KOs) in the first round.
A big right hand knocked Larbi out cold. He was down for some time, and ultimately regained consciousness, but had to be removed from the ring on a stretcher.
Mielnicki picks up his fourth win of the year and all four wins have come by way of knockout. The rising prospect has won nine fights in a row since suffering his first career defeat, by majority decision, in 2021.
Top-rated middleweight contender Thomas “Cornflake” LaManna (37-5-1, 16 KOs) secured a stoppage win over Nicolas Hernandez (27-8-3, 12 KOs) in the seventh round. LaManna dominated the action and eventually the referee had seen enough and waved off the bout.
LaManna, ranked at 4 by the WBA, keeps inching closer to another world title shot after picking up his fourth win of 2023. He’s won seven fights in a row since getting knocked out in the first round by WBA middleweight champion Erislandy Lara back in 2021.
Welterweight Paul Kroll (11-0-2, 7 KOs) stayed unbeaten by picking up a fourth round stoppage of Weah Archibald (10-16, 5 KOs).
Also on the card, junior middleweight prospect Dwyke Flemmings Jr. (5-0, 5 KOs) returned to action and put away Luis Roman (4-4) in the first round.