Sheffield, England: Middle: Adam Etches (19-1) W TKO 3 Victor Rosales (11-1).
Local favourite Etches returns with a win as he floors and halts Argentinian Rosales in three rounds. Etches made a careful start taking his time and trying to work openings. Rosales was occasionally dangerous with overhand rights but it was clear he lacked the power to trouble the Sheffield fighter.
By the second Etches was letting his punches flow and Rosales looked too fragile to last long.
In the third Etches was stalking Rosales and drove him to a corner where he landed a left and right that put Rosales down on his knees. He got up and after the eight count tried to fight back but was again cornered and Etches slammed home a couple of punches to the head. Rosales managed to escape to the other side of the ring but a thunderous right cross put him down on his hands and knees and although he was up before the eight count was completed the referee stopped the fight.
Etches, 24, was flying along until Sergey Khomitsky put him down and out cold in their fight in March. He has work to do to rebuild his confidence but at least he has started on that road. Rosales, 29, holds a generally unrecognised version of the national title. He was unbeaten going in but his opposition has been abysmal with eight of his opponents having total records of 1-33 and the other three having negative records.
