MIAMI, FL - Floyd Mayweather Jr. took a step toward a title in a third weight class by stopping Henry Bruseles Saturday night.
With a precision attack, Floyd Mayweather Jr. took another step forward in his pursuit of a third world title.
Mayweather remained unbeaten with an eighth-round technical knockout of overmatched challenger Henry Bruseles in a 12-round junior welterweight clash at American Airlines Arena.
Mayweather, 32-0 (22 KOs), a former WBC super featherweight and lightweight champion, improved to 2-0 since moving to the 140-pound division and notched his first knockout at the new level. In this one, he never was threatened, methodically battering his opponent from the start.
"I feel real good right now," Mayweather said.
The end came late in the eighth for Bruseles, 21-3-1 (13 KOs) as referee Jorge Alonso stopped the fight just before the round expired.
Mayweather delivered a right uppercut with less than a minute left in the round, forcing a standing eight-count. After Bruseles gathered himself, Mayweather strutted forward before unleashing a left hook to finish off his opponent.
The ring doctor had Alonso stop the one-sided affair with five seconds left in the round.
"I just took my time and listened to my corner," said Mayweather, who had a heated exchange with uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather after the fifth round. "I knew I was going to drown (Bruseles) in deep water eventually."
Mayweather brushed off the argument in his corner.
"I trained hard for this fight," he said. "It was no dispute, we were just having fun. (Roger) is the best trainer in the world and we know it."
Since winning three straight in a seven-month span from 2003-04, Bruseles has had only a draw and this sound defeat.
On the undercard, heavyweight Sam Peter, 22-0 (19 KOs) knocked down Yanqui Diaz five times before referee Brian Garry stopped the fight 54 seconds into the fifth.
Karl Foster
East Coast Correspondent
Information from other publications and wire services was used in the compilation of this report.
