Radivoje Kalajdzic produced a knockout of the year contender against Sullivan Barrera on Wednesday in the main event at ProBox Event Center in Plant City, Florida.
After breaking down his opponent in the late rounds, Serbia’s Kalajdzic (29-2, 21 KOs) swarmed Barrera (22-5, 14 KOs) in the 10th, punching him through the ropes in a sensational ending. Kalajdzic’s run at a second world title shot remains on course, while Barrera, of Cuba, was saddled with a third consecutive defeat – second by knockout.
The light heavyweight contest started slowly, with both men scarcely landing a jab between them in the opening two minutes. In the second round, Kalajdzic found his jab and picked away at Barrera with his long, reaching left hand. He landed a nice counter right hand, but Barrera returned with a big overhand right.
Barrera, whose right eye showed severe swelling by the end of the second, came out firing in the third, landing a big right hand with Kalajdzic on the ropes. Barrera pressed the action, but Kalajdzic recovered well, dropping Barrera to the canvas with a straight counter right halfway through the round. Barrera got to his feet quickly, only to be wobbled by another right hand.
Kalajdzic opened the fifth by connecting with an overhand right, which shuddered Barrera. The Serbian took his time to land scoring shots, but Barrera fired back with a big right hand in the final minute, giving Kalajdzic something to think about.
In Round 7, the theme of the fight began to firm up. Barrera’s battered face continued to swell, his right eye seemingly fully closing. Kalajdzic continued to mop up the rounds behind his long left hand. A quiet crowd may not have sensed the fight’s direction yet, but Kalajdzic stuck to his task, jabbing with his left and firing his straight right. Blood trickled from Barrera’s mouth to close the round.
Kalajdzic boxed smartly in the ninth and 10th rounds, but his reluctance to step on the gas gave Barrera glimmers of hope.
In the last minute of the 10th, Kalajdzic snuffed them completely. He produced the goods, answering Barrera’s right hand attack with his own counter right. Kalajdzic lost his footing as he rained down left and right hands, but he reset and charged forward to land two consecutive right hands to the head while Barrera tried to survive on the ropes.
No such luck. A left uppercut and right hand from Kalajdzic sent Barrera through those ropes in telegenic fashion, and the fight was waved off immediately at 2:31 of the final round.