Eléider Álvarez dropped Sergey Kovalev three times during a brutal seventh round, and seized the light heavyweight title.
Thanks to the victory at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Colombian Álvarez placed his record at 24-0, with 12 knockouts. Kovalev staggered back near his corner before collapsing. With this, Álvarez secured the title of 175 pounds (79.8 kilograms), and celebrated it by running through the ring.
The hostilities concluded at 2:45 minutes of the seventh round, amid the jubilation of the 5,642 spectators who filled the Etess Arena.
Álvarez pocketed the World Boxing Organization championship and ended Kovalev’s reign in the division. the Colombian, who had once undergone surgery on his right hand, found enough power to knock down his opponent with that fist.
The Russian got up before the 10 count, but Álvarez increased the punishment to send him twice more to the canvas, until referee David Fields ended the contest.
“It was a one-two combination, which I have done throughout my career and which I trained during my preparation,” said Álvarez. «I have always practiced that in training. I thought this time it would work too.
It was the first major fight fought in Atlantic City in the last four years.
In another fight on the undercard, Dmitry Bivol unanimously edged out Isaac Chilemba to retain the World Boxing Association light heavyweight belt.
There were plans for Kovalev (32-3-1) to meet Bivol in a unification bout this year.
But the Russian has not been the same since he suffered back-to-back losses to Andre Ward. After his third fall, he was immobile on the canvas, while Álvarez jumped.
The boxer from Apartadó received the opportunity to fight for the title after beating Jean Pascal and Lucian Bute. AP