Callum Smith eased to the first defence of his WBA super-middleweight title by stopping Cameroon's Hassan N'Dam in three rounds at Madison Square Garden in New York.
The 29-year-old had not fought for nine months since so impressively retiring George Groves to become champion, but against a potentially-awkward opponent, he once again excelled.
N'Dam, 35 and a former world middleweight champion, was considered to possess not only the experience but the ability to frustrate Smith, but he suffered knockdowns in each of the opening two rounds before the stoppage followed in the third.
It was with a powerful counter left hook, landed flush on N'Dam's chin, with which he secured the first knockdown towards the end of the first round, leaving his challenger at risk of an imminent knockout.
