JERMALL Charlo kept his side of the bargain ahead of a possible clash with Caleb Plant later in the year by stopping Thomas LaManna at one second of round six in Las Vegas last night.
Having his first fight in 553 days and second inside four years, ‘Hitman’ needed the rounds, but his sharp shots were too much for LaManna, who was dropped three times and outgunned for every second of this mismatched encounter. With Jermall Charlo ahead 50-42 on all three cards, it was a one-sided affair that the doctor mercifully ended after five full rounds.
Once Charlo found his range, referee Mark Nelson was just as busy, doling out knockdown counts, keeping an eye on LaManna, 39-6-1 (18 KOs), as his face gently busted up. This was a solid statement of intent from Charlo as he improved to 34-0 (23 KOs).
Entering the ring with a grin, ‘Cornflake’ LaManna hardly displayed the chiselled physique of a seasoned super-middleweight. Eating early Charlo jabs, LaManna circled the ring looking for openings as he soaked up the moment of a Las Vegas debut, along with plenty of flush shots.
Despite entering off the back of a nine-fight winning streak (four by knockout), LaManna had not been mixing in Charlo’s class. The face was reddening from every poking jab as the former two-weight world champion picked his shots effectively.
The ‘Hitman’ landed a chopping right hand in round three, putting LaManna down for the fifth time in his career. It was a welcome to the big leagues punch and Thomas rose with a cut and some damage around the left eye.
“He’s lazy, you’re letting him dictate the fight,” boomed LaManna’s corner, pleading for more activity from their man. A late round stumble in the fourth was called as a second knockdown when LaManna’s knee brushed the canvas.
His woes continued into the fifth as another trip to the canvas left LaManna’s face looking battered and bruised. Determined to enjoy his big moment, there was no lack of bravado from the New Jersey man, who danced around the ring when he wasn’t shipping hard shots.
Almost everything Charlo threw landed. He was unable to throw anymore as the ringside doctor jumped into the corner to end the fight.
“I felt good. I went out to Equatorial Guinea to do some work out there and my timing was back,” revealed Charlo afterwards, before admitting he was focused on this fight first, then Caleb Plant next.
