Tevin Farmer made the second defence of his IBF super-featherweight crown with a unanimous decision win over Francisco Fonseca at Madison Square Garden.
Having impressively beaten James Tennyson in Boston two months ago, the Philadelphia native rattled off another victory, taking three scores of 117-111 in New York.
Farmer used the opener to find his range with a snappy southpaw jab, bringing a coiled left hand into play, before stylishly taking his assault downstairs in the next, a series of whipping shots landing flush.
Going through the gears, the defending champion upped his output in the third, evading the Costa Rican challengers distant attacks to land slick salvos to the head and body.
Despite a thudding left striking his temple to begin the fourth, Fonseca did begin to get a foothold, letting his hands go off the ropes as Farmer, forcing things slightly, marched forward on the front-foot.
The pair continued to battle on the inside before the ‘American Idol’ dazzled for the final minute of the fifth, a left-right combination beginning a fine attack as uppercuts and whipping body shots rained in.
Rough and rugged, Fonseca continued to shoot out punches with intent but, after easing up in the eighth, Farmer sent home a series of hooks to get himself firmly back on top.
Two lovely left hands and a ramrod uppercut then stiffened the challenger’s legs in the 10th. Once more though, the Costa Rican bit down on the gumshield and came back firing in the final periods, often landing clean as Farmer looked to wheel away out of trouble.
On a packed night at The Garden, Ryan Garcia raised the roof with a scintillating fifth-round stoppage win over Braulio Rodriguez, the Californian 20-year old twice dropping his man as he continues his rapid rise up the rankings.
Fighting back at welterweight, Sadam Ali beat Mauricio Herrera via unanimous decision, while Yves Ulysse Jr and Lamont Roach both recorded one-sided points win.
